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Though Azaleas and Rhododendrons are distinct plant life , they are very closely related and hybrids between the two have arise or been developed .
Each of Azalea and Rhododendron used to be a genus of its own under Carl Linnaeus ’s classifications.1Azaleas and Rhododendrons . ( n.d . ) . University of Arkansas . recall March 10 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/Azaleas-Rhododendrons-2025-05-25.aspx
However , professional Botanists and Taxonomists become up to their usual mischief , re - assort and re - arranging the genus and their specie and confusing us poor lay gardeners !
“ It can be toilsome to keep up with botanical name changes , although , as with Azaleas and Rhododendrons , the old names often still stupefy for gardeners and gardener , ” says Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist with 15 years of experience .
“ I do n’t get discomfited though because the dot of botanical classification is to group plant together that are colligate in origin .
“ This was previously done using only the lineament of the flora , such as leaves and blossom .
“ Botanists are now able-bodied to use DNA , which has revealed some surprise – plants that look likewise but are n’t bear on and vice versa . ”
But then , growers and gardenersthemselveswere also partly to blame because all too often they would not , and still do not , distinguish between the two plants and , alternatively , apply the name ‘ Azalea ’ and ‘ Rhododendron ’ interchangeably , though horticulturalists were and are usually more condition .
A long struggle to colligate Genus Azalea within those rhododendron was wag from 1834 to the early 1900s , when the opposition ended.2Rhododendron and Azalea Classification Information . ( n.d.-b ) . The American Rhododendron Society . call up March 10 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.rhododendron.org/classification.htm
A scattered revolt continues .
“ azalea and rhododendron belong to the same huge genus of rhododendron , ” explain Katrina Clow from The Scottish Rhododendron Society .
“ There are two subgenus of azaleas ; one mathematical group is deciduous and the other are small - leaved evergreens . ”
So as it stands , Azaleas are subsumed within Genus Rhododendron , a member of Family Ericaceae or the Heather Family.3About Rhododendrons . ( n.d . ) . Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden . think March 10 , 2023 , fromhttps://rhodygarden.org/our-plants/rhododendrons/about-rhododendrons/
These plants arewell - experience to be acidophilic .
Azaleas are class under two sub - genera , Pentanthera and Tsutsusi.4Rhododendron and Azalea Classification Information . ( n.d.-c ) . The American Rhododendron Society . regain March 10 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.rhododendron.org/classification.htm
“ The deciduous azaleas are a adorable grouping , bedaze in bloom with a wide colour ambit , fragrant and with dependable autumn colour and sluttish to manage , ” Katrina shares .
“ They are later to flower so may escape May frosts , and they are easy to propagate , from woody cut or offshoots at the foot too .
“ evergreen plant azalea make serious houseplants and tolerate indoor consideration better than other rhododendrons . ”
As for the cross and cultivar , there are untold thousands of them ; as a issue , many evergreen Azaleas are grown in the United States .
Differentiating Factors
Rather than lay out lengthy descriptions as to how to tell apart Azaleas and Rhododendrons , we bring home the bacon a handy chart for straightaway lookup and distinction .
Factors are listed in fall order of decisive importance .
We do not include blooming season as a factor because this varies and overlaps so much by sort , climate , and geographical location .
There are other points of difference but those are more subjective and are also liable to overlap and to exceptions .
Here are some ocular comparisons of each :
1) Stamens
An Azalea will usually have five - to - ten stamen ; Rhododendrons will typically have ten or more .
2) Flowers (Number & Shape)
Flowers of an Azalea are usually solitary ; Rhododendrons will form in trusses like the bloom of a tomato plant .
In terms of flower contour , Azalea flowers are tube- or funnel - shaped ; rhododendron look more like the shape of a Vanessa Stephen ( though this is n’t the most large tell - tale foretoken ) .
3) Leaves (Texture & Size)
The leaf of an Azalea are typically smaller and thin than those of a Rhododendron flora .
You may also find that Azalea leaves sense soft and smooth to the touch ; while Rhododendrons are often leathery or scaly on the underside .
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