BULLETiN NO. 58. 
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Six of the species of Rhododendrons with deciduous leaves (Azalea)* 
of eastern North America are well established in the Arboretum, and 
no group of plants perfectly suited to our climate surpasses them in 
beauty. The first., of these plants to bloom, R. Vaseyi, opens its small 
pink flowers early in May before the leaves appear. This Azalea is 
an inhabitant of a few of the high valleys of the Blue Ridge in North 
and South Carolina and had been entirely overlooked until some thirty- 
years ago. It is a plant of loose irregular habit, sometimes growing 
to the height of fifteen or eighteen feet, although in cultivation it be- 
gins to flower when less than a foot high. It is perfectly hardy, and 
the pure perfect punk of its flowers is hardly equalled by that of the 
flowers of any other plant. There is a form of this Azalea with white 
flowers. It grows best in rather moist soil in the neighborhood of 
water, and single individuals generally look better than the large 
masses sometimes seen in public parks. 
Not much later two other pink-flowered species are in bloom, R. can- 
escens and R. nudiflorum ; the former is a more northern and the latter 
a mor£ -southern species, although the two often grow in the same 
locality. Both produce pale rose or pink flowers of various shades 
which appear before the leaves or just as they begin to unfold, and 
their general appearance is very similar. These plants grow singly 
Or in great masses on treeless hillsides or in open woods. R. canescens 
is very abundant in some parts of Worcester County, Massachusetts, 
and the bundles of branches covered with pink flowers which excur- 
sionists on the northern railroads bring into Boston in May are of this 
species. These two Azaleas take kindly to cultivation and thrive in 
good soil in either shady or open situations. 
The next of these Azaleas to flower, the yellow Azalea of the Ap- 
palachian Mountain slopes, R. calendulaceycm, is now in bloom. The 
beauty of the brilliant flowers is heightened by contrast with the dark 
green leaves which are well grown before the flowers open; these vary 
from bright yellow to orange or shades of red and are not surpassed 
in brilliancy by those of any other Azalea now in cultivation. R. cal- 
endulaceum is a slow-growing but long-lived plant, and in time will 
reach a height of eight or ten feet. There is a large mass of these 
plants showing the variations in the color of the flowers on the lower 
side of Azalea Path, and a number of individuals are scattered in bor- 
der-plantations along the different roads. Tbe flowers of the yellow 
Azalea will soon be followed by those of another inhabitant of the 
glades of the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia, 
R. arborescens. This is a tall shrub with large, pure white, very fra- 
grant flowers, the beauty of which is increased by the bright scarlet 
color of the long filaments of the stamens and of the style. The pale 
leaves of this plant are fully grown before the flowers open. There 
are many small plants of this species on the lower side of Azalea Path, 
and there is a mass of it on the Valley Road in front of the Hickories. 
The last of these Azaleas to bloom ( R . viscosum) will not be in flower 
for several weeks. It is a common inhabitant of low wet ground in 
the eastern part of the country, and is popularly known as the Swamp 
Honeysuckle. The small white flowers continue to open during many 
weeks and their fragrance, which is greater than that of the other 
Azaleas, makes known their presence especially in the evening, from a 
long distance. 
