The flame azalea (A. calendulacea) the best hardy azalea for producing 

 glorious mass effects on a large scale. Flowers yellow or orange 



The Japanese hardy azalea (A. Indica, var. Kaempferi) of extraordinary interest 

 because a deciduous variety of Indica and hardy at Boston 



All the Azaleas Worth Growing— By Thomas McAdam, ,sx 



THE FIFTEENTH OF THOSE HERETICAL "LITTLE MONOGRAPHS" WHICH SCORN THE PEDANTIC AND USELESS WAY 

 OF DESCRIBING SPECIES ALPHABETICALLY AND AIM TO SHOW WHICH ARE THE BEST SPECIES AND WHY 



ANYONE who desires to comprehend 

 the relative merits of all the species 

 of azalea worth growing, may do so in five 

 minutes by consulting the following "Pur- 

 chaser's Guide," which is like any botanical 

 key except that it aims to save money instead 

 of describing the hairs on the leaves. For 

 example, A and AA show the most important 

 distinction, viz., that between evergreen and 

 deciduous foliage. In the deciduous group 

 B and BB show which are the long-tubed and 

 which the short-tubed flowers. C and CC 

 show which have protruding stamens and 

 which do not. D and DD differentiate cer- 

 tain kinds according to color, etc. This 

 is the clearest and briefest way of showing 



how each species differs from every other 

 and what it has in common with any other. 



PURCHASER'S GUIDE TO AZALEAS 



A. Foliage evergreen (except in No. 

 3): lvs. and fls. from the 

 same terminal bud. 

 B. Plants tender. The favorite 

 species for forcing. 



Indian azalea i. A. Indica 

 BB. Plants hardy. 



C. Foliage evergreen: fls. rosy, 



purple, magenta or white. 



D. Fls. 1 in. across, scentless. 



HARDY INDIAN AZALEA 2. 



DD. Fls. 2-3 in. across, fragrant. 



ROSEMARY-LEAVED AZALEA 3- 



CC. Foliage deciduous: fls. red or 

 pink. 



JAPANESE HARDY AZALEA 4. 



A. Indica 

 var. amcena 



A. rosmari- 

 nifolia 



A. Indica, var. 

 Kaempferi. 



The pinxster flower (A. nudiflora) pink. April — May 

 A cultivated specimen. Don't rob the woods! 



AA. Foliage deciduous: lvs. and fls. 

 from different buds. 

 B. Corolla with decided tube and 

 usually acute segments, 

 pubescent or hairy out- 

 side: stamens 5. 

 C. Stamens shorter than the 

 spreading part of the flower 

 corolla f u n n e 1-t o-b ell 

 shaped; tube short and 

 broad, pubescent but not 

 glandular outside. 



Chinese azalea 5. A. Sinensis 

 CC. Stamens as long as, or longer 

 than, the limb: corolla 

 trumpet-shaped; tube long 

 and narrow, glandular out- 

 side. 



Color yellow to flame red. 

 E. Height 2-6 ft.: fls. yellow, 

 fragrant. 



black sea azalea 6. A. Pontica 

 Height 4-10 ft.: fls. 

 orange or red, nearly 

 odorless. 



flame azalea 7 



D. 



EE. 



DD. Color, white, pink or rose. 

 E. Blooming early (Apr- 

 May): fls. normally 

 pink. 



9. A. occiden- 

 talis 



10. A. arbores- 

 cens 



iz. A. viscosa 



pinxster flower 8. A. nudiflora 

 EE. Blooming midseason 

 (May- June) : fls. 

 normally white or 

 tinged rose: height 

 2-6 ft. 



CALIFORNIA AZALEA 



EEE. Blooming late (June- 

 July) : fls. normally 

 white or tinged rose. 

 F. Height 8-20 ft. 



TREE AZALEA 



FF. Height 4-8 ft. 



WHITE AZALEA 



BB. Corolla with very short tube, and 

 obtuse segments, glabrous out- 

 side: stamens 7-10 

 C. Flowers 2-lipped,not spotted 

 the two lower segments 

 divided nearly to the 

 base: blooming before 

 the leaves. 

 D. Color rose-purple. 



rhodora 12. A. Canaden. 

 sis 

 DD. Color bright rose. 



Japanese rhodora 13. A.rhombica 

 CC. Flowers wheel-to-beil shaped, 

 or slightly two-lipped, di- 

 vided usually to a point 

 below the middle; middle 

 lobes spotted. 

 D. Color pink: stamens 7, 

 rarely 5. 



PURE PINK AZALEA 



Color purple: stamens 10 



DD. 



A. calendu- 

 lacea 



218 



14. A. Vaseyi 



15. A. Al- 



brechti 



DDD. Color pale rose: stamens 10. 16. A. Schlipp- 



enbachii 



The numbered paragraphs below describe 

 the species in the same order in which they 

 are distinguished in the "Purchaser's Guide" 

 above. 



1. The Indian azalea (.4. Indica) is the 

 most important species for forcing and for 



