Azaleas are the most popular landscape shrubs in the southern U.S. In 1848, the first southern Indian azaleas, or &8220;indicas,&8221; were planted at Magnolia Gardens near Charleston, South Carolina. Soon the azalea craze spread throughout the south.

Colorful azaleas are synonymous with springtime in the south. Evergreen azaleas are prized for their vivid splash of color in the spring, along with attractive foliage and excellent form all year. Deciduous azaleas including native species have a more airy growth habit that is especially accentuated in the winter landscape.

Botanically speaking, azaleas are members of the Heath family, which dates back to the Cretaceous period. Carl Linnaeus, the &8220;Father of Taxonomy,&8221; was the first to recognize the genus Rhododendron in his Species Plantarum in 1753.

He created a separate genus named Azalea that included six species. Since that time, both genera have been grouped into only Rhododendron.

A wide variety of azaleas is available for southern gardeners ranging in size and color.

Depending on the species, dwarf sized shrubs to large growing plants, with flowers ranging from white, yellow, orange, scarlet, crimson, purple and fuchsia can make finding the right choices for your landscape very exciting.

Early, mid and late season bloomers make it possible to select several varieties to have plants in bloom for at least two months.

Azaleas are equally useful and lovely in a naturalistic setting, formal landscape, or contemporary design.

Using evergreen azaleas as a screen planting is another great way to utilize these classic shrubs. Southern Indian varieties such as &8216;Pride of Mobile&8217; or &8216;George Lindley Taber&8217; are excellent for this use. Trimming evergreen azaleas into hedges is easy to do as long as you don&8217;t prune off the next season&8217;s buds.

A specimen plant trained into an unusual form is another way to add interest to your garden.

Training an azalea into a tree form is another possibility and especially easy with deciduous varieties. Evergreen azaleas pruned into standards are very popular, especially in a formal landscape. During the peak flowering season, these are often available in area nurseries. After flowering and until mid-July is the ideal time for heavy pruning although selective trimming can be done year-round.

Creating a special effect by planting azaleas near water is incredibly beautiful, especially when a reflection of the plant can be seen. Ideally, a gentle slope upwards from a pond or water garden is the best situation for this type of planting. Always be sure azaleas have adequate drainage.

A well designed southern garden should contain other companion plants. Small-to-medium sized trees such as Japanese maple, redbud, dogwood, American holly or fringe tree are some choices to consider. Shrubs to incorporate into an azalea planting include Camellia, Gardenia, Hydrangea, various hollies (Ilex), Mahonia, Nandina, Spiraea and Viburnum.

Traci Maier

writes a weekly column about gardening in the Miss-Lou. She can be reached by e-mail at

ratmaier@bellsouth.net

.