Azalea

Imagine rounding the bend of a garden path to the shocking sight of shrubs billowing with blooms, luminescent as clouds—did you just drift off into dream land? This exhilarating shrub doesn’t fit the typical fair-and-dainty-spring-bloom mold. No—azaleas burst forth in spring like they deserve a red carpet or a triple crown trophy.

In fact, some people build their entire garden around this single shrub. And they should, because not only is there no rival to their innumerable flowers (often more flowers than foliage, like ‘Boudoir’ at right), but azaleas shine in the shade. They look great in other seasons, too. They can be evergreen, maintaining their broad green leaves until spring (when new ones emerge), or deciduous. And some deciduous varieties don’t drop their leaves without one final hurrah of glowing fall foliage.

Because there are endless varieties, I’ve made several lists of azaleas with extra perks on the next page. Find one that will work best for you. Not sure you’re ready to add this