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Key characteristics

Family: Ericaceae
Height: 6 to 12 ft
Width: 6 to 12 ft
Flower color: Bright orange flowers, often with yellow or red tones and darker spotting
Foliage color: Deciduous medium-green leaves, turning yellow to orange in fall
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; prune lightly after bloom
Growing zone: USDA zones 5 to 7
Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other pollinators

Shrubs

Rhododendron calendulaceum

Flame Azalea

Rhododendron calendulaceum is a deciduous shrub admired for its dramatic spring display and open, upright form. In late spring to early summer, large clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers appear at the ends of the branches. Flower colors range from clear yellow and soft orange to glowing apricot and fiery red, often with deeper orange or red markings in the throat. The blooms are lightly fragrant and coincide with leaf emergence, creating a vivid seasonal moment in woodland settings.

Light

Full sun to part shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

Works well in

Shade Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Native Gardens
Woodland Gardens

Companion plants

Mahonias · Astilbe · Heucheras · Maidenhair fern · Corydalis · Lily-of-the-valley

Design tip

Make Flame Azalea a spring focal point where its fiery flowers can command attention without competing with other bold bloomers. Its substantial size works especially well anchoring a garden bed, where the open branching keeps a larger shrub from feeling overly heavy.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)