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Rhododendron prunifolium (Small) Millais Plumleaf Azalea, Red Honeysuckle 1 Heath Family, ERICACEAEE LEGAL STATUS: State: THREATENED Federal: None SYNONYMY: Azalea prunifolia Small RANGE: Drainage of lower Chattahoochee River in southeastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia. Recorded from seven counties in Georgia (see map). ILLUSTRATION: Flowering branch, showing leaves fringed with tiny hairs and coarsely veined like a plum leaf, 1x. Source: original drawing by Vicky Holifield. DESCRIPTION: Deciduous shrub. This species is one of the showiest of the native azaleas, usually 2-3 m (rarely to 5 m) tall. The leaves are alternate in tight clusters, 2.5-8.0 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, dark green above, lighter beneath, and smooth except for the small hairs on the margins. The flower bud scales are chestnut brown, smooth on their backs, and fringed on the margins with short, slender hairs. The odorless flowers are in terminal clusters of 4-7, with the outer flowers opening first. The five petals are yellow-orange to deep red, with a From: Patrick, Allison and Krakow (1995), Protected Plants of Georgia, Georgia Department of Natural Resources 2 Rhododendron prunifolium (Small) Millais tube 2.4-3.1 cm long, and shorter lobes, 1-2 cm long. Both knob-tipped and ordinary hairs are found on the petals. The stamens are long (6.5-8.5 cm) and project well beyond the petals. The fruit is an ovate-cylindric capsule, 1.7-2.2 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm wide, densely covered with long and short, slender hairs (without swollen tips). Flowering period: July to August, sporadically later in the season; fruiting period: August to November. Best search time: during flowering; the reddish flowers are diagnostic and make the plants conspicuous. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 50:249-264. Small, J. K. 1933. Manual of the Southeastern Flora. 1972 Reprint Edition. Hafner Publishing Company, New York. 1554 pp. HABITAT: Found in moist soils of rich hardwood ravines. SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION FEATURES: Plumleaf azalea blooms later and has less hairy leaves than any other orange- to red-flowered native azalea. Within its restricted range (see map), it occasionally flowers with Rhododendron arborescens, a sweetly fragrant, white-flowered species. The fruit of R. arborescens has long, knob-tipped hairs and short, ordinary hairs. In contrast, the fruit of R. prunifolium has both long and short, slender-tipped hairs. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: Avoid disturbance. At most this species will tolerate only hand thinning of trees in its immediate vicinity, and only if done carefully. Of horticultural interest: protect from removal by irresponsible persons. REMARKS: Roland Harper made the first collection of this species in 1903, near Cuthbert (Randolph County). Eugene A. Smith collected it almost simultaneously in Barbour County, Alabama, near Baker Hill. It has since been found at about 35 locations in Georgia and about 13 in Alabama. This species, though not the easiest to grow, is a cherished landscaping plant to enthusiasts of native azaleas because it produces its strongly colored flowers at a time when few, if any, other azaleas are in bloom. Callaway Gardens, which contains extensive plantings of this striking species, features it in its logo. The finest natural display of this species is found within Providence Canyon State Park, where over a thousand plants produce an impressive display in July and August. Rhododendron prunifolium is rare throughout its limited range. SELECTED REFERENCES Dirr, M. A. 1990. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Fourth Edition. Stipes Publishing Company, Champaign, Illinois. 1007 pp. Galle, F. C. 1967. Native and some introduced azaleas of southern gardens: kinds and cultures. American Horticulture Magazine 46(1):13-24. Galle, F. C. 1985. Azaleas. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 486 pp. Godfrey, R. K. 1988. Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Northern Florida and Adjacent Georgia and Alabama. University of Georgia Press, Athens. 734 pp. Kron, K. A. 1993. A revision of Rhododendron section Pentanthera. From: Patrick, Allison and Krakow (1995), Protected Plants of Georgia, Georgia Department of Natural Resources