Azalea & Rhododendron Blossoms Gallery
R. occidentale 'Stagecoach' x calendulaceum 'Colossus'
Western Flame Azalea
This deciduous azalea shown in May flower is a cross between
the Western Azalea R. occidentale "Stagecoach" & the
Flame Azalea R. calendulaceum "Colossus."
Neither parent has ever been in production but were
named varieties from non-commercial Northwest breeders.
The breeder was Britt Smith, whose collection of
wild & experimentally hybridized Western Azaleas
was at one point threatened by land development,
until the Lake Wilderness Aboretum came to the rescue
& established Smith-Mossman Western Azalea Display Garden with
over 200 specimens. Smith's garden contained
many more plants than that, however, so a few were made
available to some of us mere gardeners & rhododendron enthusiasts.
The burst seedpods are shown in this March photograph.
These lingered all through winter & showed themselves
on the naked winter branches like wooden flowers!
Here's one more shot of the seedpods in March.
For a great deal more about this shrub, see the primary
Western Flame Azalea Page
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