Fragrance is a plant's way of touching us without physical contact. Like the warmth of the sun on a spring day, the perfume is not really intended for us -- but it seems as if it is.
Although color is foremost in the minds of most gardeners, fragrance usually is not far behind. If you love fragrant plants, you will be thrilled with our native honeysuckle azalea.
Flowering mid-March through early April, honeysuckle azaleas (Rhododendron canescens) produce a light, sweet scent that permeates the air around them. Although not native to New Orleans, honeysuckle azaleas are native to the north shore and to the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida and east to Texas. You will often find them growing in Louisiana along sandy creeks in mixed pine and hardwood forests, except in the southern, coastal parishes.
In Vernon Parish, where I went to high school and first discovered this lovely fragrant shrub, it was called wild honeysuckle. It is not related to true honeysuckle (Lonicera species), and it took me awhile to discover its relationship to azaleas.
All azaleas belong to the genus Rhododendron. The most common azaleas used in our landscapes are evergreen types derived from species native to China, Japan and Korea. All of our native azaleas, including the honeysuckle azalea, are deciduous, meaning they drop their leaves in the winter.
Another group of plants that belong to the Rhododendron genus have larger, leathery evergreen leaves and produce their flowers in large clusters at the end of their branches. These plants are commonly called rhododendrons. Better adapted to climates with colder winters and milder summers, they typically will not thrive here. However, cultivars adapted to the Deep South might be available in a few years.
A leafy question
Because native honeysuckle azaleas are deciduous, they are undesirable to many New Orleans gardeners who only want evergreen shrubs. They tend to think that when a shrub drops its leaves, it looks dead and unsightly. However, I think that deciduous shrubs such as hydrangea, Virginia willow, flowering quince, red buckeye, mock orange and althea make outstanding additions to the landscape.
Deciduous shrubs help bring a feeling of changing seasons to an otherwise static landscape. In the case of the honeysuckle azalea, leaf drop enhances the flowering, since the blossoms appear before the foliage. Without the distraction of the leaves, the flowers are even more noticeable and persist until the leaves begin to emerge.
The flowers of honeysuckle azaleas range from dark pink to white, are about 1 to 1.5 inches across and occur in clusters of six to 15 at the tips of the branches.
Commonly grown evergreen azaleas are typically mound-shaped, but our native azaleas are more upright oval in form, with a medium texture and loose, open branching. They generally grow about 6 feet tall but occasionally reach 15 feet with age and good growing conditions. Their growth rate is relatively slow, and little pruning is usually necessary.
What they need
These shrubs perform well in full sun to part shade. In our area, gardeners have had the best results providing some shade during the day, especially in the afternoon. Although they will survive in deep shade, it greatly reduces flowering.
Honeysuckle azaleas grow best in an acidic soil rich in organic matter, with excellent drainage and an even supply of moisture.
Although native azaleas can be more exacting in their needs and less adaptable to poor growing conditions, this is not terribly different from what is recommended for more familiar azaleas. I've seen them grow just as well as traditional azaleas in the New Orleans area.
Well-prepared beds produce the best results. Thoroughly incorporate generous amounts of compost or finely ground pine bark along with a soil acidifier, such as copperas, into the planting area. If you suspect that drainage is not excellent, plant your azaleas in raised beds.
After planting, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch, such as pine straw or leaves, over the area under the shrub to help maintain even moisture.
Regular watering is important, especially during hot, dry weather in late summer. Honeysuckle azaleas set their flower buds in July, and drought at that time can reduce flowering the next spring.
Fertilize them at the same time and rate as your other azaleas. Their foliage is naturally a light green, and I haven't had a problem with iron chlorosis on my plants. For an average plant about 5 feet tall, use about 1/4 cup of 15-5-10 fertilizer, with 12 percent sulfur and 2 percent iron in late March or early April. Increase the rate for larger plants.
Yellow and orange are not colors we are accustomed to seeing in azalea flowers, but a relative of the honeysuckle azalea called the flame azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) produces flowers in those shades.
Looking very much like the honeysuckle azalea except for the flower color, its culture is the same.
Plant breeders are currently hybridizing these two species with other related native azaleas to produce a range of flower colors, shapes and sizes. All are upright, deciduous shrubs distinctively different from traditional azaleas, and most produce a sweet fragrance that fills the air with the magic of spring.
DAN GILL'S MAILBOX
Are there disadvantages to using a mulching lawn mower? Will the grass clippings increase the likelihood of my lawn getting chinch bugs?
Mulching mowers are an excellent choice for lawn care. With proper use, research shows that they do not increase the thatch layer, the primary issue of concern when returning grass clippings to the lawn. You will not increase the chances of the lawn being attacked by chinch bugs.
I read that the 'Honey Bear' squash is really an acorn squash. Do I plant this in the fall or spring? If I plant in the fall, which month do I transplant?
'Honey Bear' is a new All-America Selections winner acorn squash notable for its compact growth habit, powdery-mildew tolerance and high yields. Squash can be broadly grouped in two categories: summer squash and winter squash. The names, however, do not relate to when they are grown. They are grown the same way and at the same time of the year. The difference is that summer squash (yellow crook- and straight-necked, scalloped and zucchini) are harvested immature when the rind is tender, while winter squash (Hubbard, acorn, pumpkin and butternut) are harvested mature when the rind is hard. Because they are harvested mature, these types of squash store well and were often stored in root cellars for use during the winter months. Hence the name winter squash. We can plant squash, both summer and winter types, now for early summer production and again in the late summer for fall production. So the answer to your question, "Do I plant this in the fall or spring?" is: Yes.
My Louisiana irises are almost finished blooming. When is the best time to dig and transplant them? One more question: My brother tells me that if you mix colors of irises in the same bed you will get totally different colors in time. Is this possible?
Dig and transplant Louisiana irises in August, September or early October, when they are dormant. And yes, you may see new colors over time, but it's not because the irises you plant change color. Say you plant a white Louisiana iris and a blue Louisiana iris together. Neither will have an effect on the color of the other simply because they are growing next to each other. That would be like saying if you keep a collie and a Labrador retriever together in the same dog pen, eventually the collie will look like the Lab or vice versa. Yet, many people think that's how it works with plants. Here's the real reason you can see new colors: If you allow seed pods to form on your irises, and you allow the pods to ripen and drop seeds to the ground, and if those seeds germinate and grow and eventually produce blooming plants, the offspring could very well have flower colors different from their parents. Or, it could be that some colors in a planting are more vigorous than other colors. Say you plant yellow, red and purple irises together in a bed, and the purple iris is far more vigorous than the other two. Over time, the purple iris may crowd out the other two until they eventually disappear. So, you end up with all purple irises in the bed -- not because the yellow and red were converted to purple, but simply because they are no longer present.