Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron Viscosum) – 3 Gallon Pot

An azalea that will grow in wet soil…surely not? Well, meet the Rhododendron viscosum, commonly known as Swamp Azalea, a North American native deciduous Rhododendron adored for its showy and wonderfully fragrant flowers, and its ability to thrive in moist to wet soils. In its native habitat it thrives in swamps, bogs, stream margins and wet lowlands from southwestern Maine to northeastern Ohio south to Florida and Alabama, and can even be found at higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. One of the last azaleas to flower in the season (May to July), it features abundant clusters of very fragrant white to soft pink honeysuckle-like flowers with a clove-like aroma that are great for cut flowers. Each flower has 5 petal-like lobes and long stamens. It typically grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, however is sometimes seen at up to 8 feet. Branching opens up with age. Narrow, oval-shaped, dark green leaves through the warm season turn attractive shades of yellow, orange and purple with the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall. Extremely cold and heat hardy from USDA Zones 4a to 9b.