Pink flowering bush in Georgia -- native azalea?

[wsmoak]

What do you think? Do I possibly have a native azalea?

140423_8201 by wsmoak, on Flickr

140423_8205 by wsmoak, on Flickr

It's on the edge of a wooded area and doesn't get much sun. It was the victim of some clearing a couple of years ago, it used to be taller but got whacked off at about 2'. Whatever it is, I will mark it so it doesn't get removed.

-Wendy

 

[Sprinkler Buddy]

What ever it is, it's beautiful! I would be transplanting it to my own yard to keep it safe.

 

[catjac1975]

It's called Mountain Laurel in Connecticut. I believe that is is a wild azalea.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Please remember that some native plants don't take transplanting well, it's best to just leave it in it's spot. My region's population of wild Lady Slipper orchids was destroyed by people digging them up so they can move the plants to their own property. Also the area that you might plan to move them to could have a completely different type of soil/different moisture levels than what it needs to grow.

It is a very pretty flower.

 

[wsmoak]

Mountain Laurel is apparently related to blueberry ... the pictures of the flowers I found don't look the same as this.

I'm definitely not digging it up, but I will try to root some cuttings. I wonder if we forced it to bloom by, um, aggressively pruning it. That or the stupid deer have eaten it in previous years and it never got a chance.

Tomorrow I'll clear around it a little and put a wire cage around it. Both so it doesn't get removed when it's not flowering, and to keep the deer away.

(And right near it I found a native red honeysuckle!

140423_8243 by wsmoak, on Flickr)

 

[so lucky]

Both those plants are great finds! I remember when I was little, we used to pick big bouquets of "bush honeysuckle" every spring. It actually looked more like the wild azalea, and smelled wonderful. I never see it in the woods anymore.

 

[journey11]

Wild azalea...very pretty!

 

[baymule]

Beautiful! We have the red honeysuckle here too, but not those wild azaleas.

 

[digitS']

Hi Wendy!


And to say, "very pretty pictures!"
Steve

 

[Carol Dee]

At 1st look I thought your plant was a weigela. My sister has one that looks very much like this. The weigela Blooms might be smaller. Very pretty. Whatever it is Seedo might be right to leave it and enjoy it where it is.