Rhododendron 'QbackB' (Sunbow Solar Flare)

Sunbow Solar Flare is the patented name for the azalea catalogued as Rhododendron 'QbackB' (U.S. Plant Patent 27,083), a deciduous native hybrid bred for the very conditions that defeat most azaleas. The plant traces to a deliberate cross made in 1984 by Robert Edward Lee in Folsom, Louisiana, who set out to combine the fragrance and vivid color of the Gulf Coast's own Florida azalea, Rhododendron austrinum, with the substance of the Exbury hybrids. A seedling from austrinum open-pollinated with the hybrid 'Gibraltar' was crossed onto 'Chetco', and from that union Lee selected this standout in 1990.

Released as one of a three-part Sunbow series of sun-tolerant native azaleas, Solar Flare lives up to the astronomical name. In early to mid spring, ahead of many companions, the shrub lights up with generous trusses of bright yellow flowers washed with a hint of orange, opening from darker orange-red buds so the whole plant reads two-toned, like a flare caught mid-burst. A rich honeysuckle fragrance pours off the trusses. Unusual among azaleas, this selection was chosen for genuine sun tolerance, which lets a gardener use the plant where a woodland azalea would sulk.

Behind the trademark stands one of the South's most beloved wildflowers. The native deciduous azaleas, the wild honeysuckle-azaleas of old country speech, have perfumed springtime woods from the Carolinas to the Gulf for centuries, and Rhododendron austrinum lends this hybrid both that scent and the golden fire in the petals. The genus name Rhododendron is Greek for rose tree; the older name azalea, from azaleos, meaning dry, hints at the well-drained ground these shrubs prefer. As with all azaleas, the foliage and nectar contain grayanotoxins and are not for eating, a small caution against a great deal of beauty.

Deciduous and upright, reaching roughly four to six feet, Solar Flare suits the sunny edge of a border, a foundation planting with afternoon relief, or a naturalistic sweep among pines where the spring color can carry. Because the plant accepts more sun than most azaleas, a gardener can choose brighter, more open ground, though morning sun with a little afternoon shade still yields the best foliage. Give moist, acidic, well-drained soil, mulch the shallow roots, and pair with ferns, native phlox, and later-blooming shrubs that carry the season forward. Photo courtesy of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.