Habitat

• native to parts of Georgia and Alabama
• naturally found along stream banks and in ravines
• hardy in warmer parts of zone 5

Habit and Form

• a deciduous shrub
• 8' to 12' tall
• upright habit with tiered branching
• multistemmed

Summer Foliage

• deciduous simple leaves
• elliptic to obovate shape
• alternate leaf arrangement held in whorls
• 1.25' to 5' long
• leaves have dark green color; glabrous surface

Autumn Foliage

• not particularly impressive

Flowers

• orange-red to red flowers
• funnel-shaped
• 1.5" to 2' across
• held in 4 to 7 flowered clusters
• bloom time is in July and August
• flowers partially hidden by foliage
• not fragrant

Fruit

• small dehiscent capsules

Bark

• not ornamentally important

Culture

• full sun to partial shade
• moist, cool, well-drained acidic soils high in organic matter

Landscape Use

• for late season flower color
• for high quality azalea foliage
• for naturalistic areas
• in groupings
• shrub borders
• foundation plant in the right site

Liabilities

• need specific soils and site for success
• late blooms partial obscured by foliage

ID Features

• alternate leaf arrangement with leaves appearing whorled toward the tips
• orange red flowers in July and August
• glabrous foliage

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

Numerous cultivars have been selected for variation in flower color, ranging from scarlet red to pink-orange. While none of these cultivars is particularly prevalent in the trade, they can occasionally be found in catalogs that cater to native plants.

'Apricot Glow' - This plant bears orange flowers in midsummer on an upright-growing plant with rounded foliage.

'Cherry Bomb' - Orange-red blooms adorn this plant.

'Coral Glow' - A form with pink-orange blooms, this cultivar blooms in midsummer.

'Peach Glow' - This selection is special due to its orange-pink flowers which appear in summer.

'Lewis Short' and 'Pine Prunifolium' - These plants display red blooms in summer.