Sunny the Hippie Chick
Leafing Out
They seem to look the same. But azaleas to me seem to have smaller flowers. How do you tell these plants apart.
Pictures or any advice..
Thank you.
Pictures or any advice..
Thank you.
Azaleas and Rhodies.. Whats the difference between them?
- Thread starter Sunny the Hippie Chick
- Start date
digitS'
Garden Master
Sunny, I'm not very knowledgeable about azaleas and rhodies but those who are say this:
(The Rhododendron Species Foundation & Botanical Garden) "Azaleas are also rhododendrons. The group of plants commonly called azaleas are actually classified by botanists as belonging to the Genus Rhododendron and the name for each type of azalea has both the word 'Rhododendron' and the species name, just as with other rhododendrons."
Now to set their favorite plant apart from what is usually a larger and showier sister, the azalea aficionados pull out the magnifying glasses:
(Azalea Society of America) "To tell them apart, first look at a flowermost azaleas have only 5 or 6 stamens, while most rhododendrons have 10 stamens. Then look at a leafazalea leaves tend to be thinner, softer and more pointed than rhododendron leaves, and azalea leaves tend to have long straight hairs parallel to the leaf surface, usually along the midrib on the underside of the leaf. Finally, using a magnifying glass, look at the underside of a leaf . . . "
Well, you can explore that a little more using your own magnifying glass
.
ETA: Ah, ha! I see that you are from Brookings! In the redwood forests near your home are very beautiful rhododendrons! And, I'm glad that Brookings could spare a little "sunshine" for a visit outside the rainforest!
Steve
(The Rhododendron Species Foundation & Botanical Garden) "Azaleas are also rhododendrons. The group of plants commonly called azaleas are actually classified by botanists as belonging to the Genus Rhododendron and the name for each type of azalea has both the word 'Rhododendron' and the species name, just as with other rhododendrons."
Now to set their favorite plant apart from what is usually a larger and showier sister, the azalea aficionados pull out the magnifying glasses:
(Azalea Society of America) "To tell them apart, first look at a flowermost azaleas have only 5 or 6 stamens, while most rhododendrons have 10 stamens. Then look at a leafazalea leaves tend to be thinner, softer and more pointed than rhododendron leaves, and azalea leaves tend to have long straight hairs parallel to the leaf surface, usually along the midrib on the underside of the leaf. Finally, using a magnifying glass, look at the underside of a leaf . . . "
Well, you can explore that a little more using your own magnifying glass
.ETA: Ah, ha! I see that you are from Brookings! In the redwood forests near your home are very beautiful rhododendrons! And, I'm glad that Brookings could spare a little "sunshine" for a visit outside the rainforest
!Steve
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
They were originally different genera (azaleas being genus Azalea ), but now have been collapsed all together under the genus Rhododendron. So in a sense they are ALL rhododendrons <g>
IMO, unless you want to do some fun botanizing, the most sensible and simplest approach is the following:
If it has large flowers, large broad leaves, and/or the whole plant is a whole lot taller than you are, call it a rhododendron.
If it has small flowers, smallish narrowish leaves, and/or is bush-sized, call it an azalea.
For ambiguous plants, either pick one and guess, or address it as "that azalea-rhododendron-whatever thing over there".
An additional aid is that (on average) azaleas are more inclined to be deciduous and rhododendrons more inclined to hold their leaves over winter -- but there is some overlap there, and in warm climates a lot of azaleas lose their deciduous habit, so I would not rely too heavily on this. Plus of course it doesn't help you a bit in summertime <g>
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
), but now have been collapsed all together under the genus Rhododendron. So in a sense they are ALL rhododendrons <g>IMO, unless you want to do some fun botanizing, the most sensible and simplest approach is the following:
If it has large flowers, large broad leaves, and/or the whole plant is a whole lot taller than you are, call it a rhododendron.
If it has small flowers, smallish narrowish leaves, and/or is bush-sized, call it an azalea.
For ambiguous plants, either pick one and guess, or address it as "that azalea-rhododendron-whatever thing over there".
An additional aid is that (on average) azaleas are more inclined to be deciduous and rhododendrons more inclined to hold their leaves over winter -- but there is some overlap there, and in warm climates a lot of azaleas lose their deciduous habit, so I would not rely too heavily on this. Plus of course it doesn't help you a bit in summertime <g>
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
- Thread starter
- #4
Sunny the Hippie Chick
Leafing Out
Thank you both for your help. I thought they were basically the same.
My town of Brookings actually has a celebration about Azaleas.. Its the Azalea Festavil.. And our city park has Azaleas that area over 100 years old in them. They have smaller flowers than what people plant in their gardens as Rhodies.
Where I live it seems we have both in our yard. But the Azaleas at the park are an light orange type color.. But there are some smaller type in my yard, it has purple flowers and I dont know what to call it. Then there is the regular larger flowered ones that people seem to call Rhodies more often.
Another reason I was wanting to know the difference. Is our county fair is coming up soon. And they have a section for cut Azaleas and Rhodies. And I dont know what to classify as what.
Boy this is confussing..
:coolsun
My town of Brookings actually has a celebration about Azaleas.. Its the Azalea Festavil.. And our city park has Azaleas that area over 100 years old in them. They have smaller flowers than what people plant in their gardens as Rhodies.
Where I live it seems we have both in our yard. But the Azaleas at the park are an light orange type color.. But there are some smaller type in my yard, it has purple flowers and I dont know what to call it. Then there is the regular larger flowered ones that people seem to call Rhodies more often.
Another reason I was wanting to know the difference. Is our county fair is coming up soon. And they have a section for cut Azaleas and Rhodies. And I dont know what to classify as what.
Boy this is confussing..
:coolsun
digitS'
Garden Master
Click on that azalea link in my post, Sunny, and get out your magnifying glass . . .
Good Luck at the Fair!
Steve
Good Luck at the Fair
!Steve
vfem
Garden Addicted
We have an Azalea festival in Wilmington NC every year... I have both
Azaleas and Rhodies in my year. I just think of the small accent pieces are azaleas, and the big leaf, big flower ones are Rhodies.
Also, the azaleas do better in full sun, my rhododendreas like some shade and are in the wooded areas.
Azaleas and Rhodies in my year. I just think of the small accent pieces are azaleas, and the big leaf, big flower ones are Rhodies.
Also, the azaleas do better in full sun, my rhododendreas like some shade and are in the wooded areas.
- Thread starter
- #7
Sunny the Hippie Chick
Leafing Out
I forgot to thank you for the links. They were helpful. Actually Im going outside in the dark to pick a few flowers to check for differences..digitS' said:Click on that azalea link in my post, Sunny, and get out your magnifying glass . . .
Good Luck at the Fair
Steve
Boy those pics are on the small side. Wish they were clickable, so you could make them bigger.
