Rhododendron canescens 'Varnadoe's Pink'

'Varnadoe's Pink' is a choice dark-pink selection of the native Piedmont azalea, Rhododendron canescens, chosen and grown by the late Aaron Varnadoe of Colquitt, Georgia, a great native-azalea grower and genuine Southern character. Where the wild species varies from pale to deep pink, this selection holds a rich, abundant dark pink, and the plant has become a popular favorite for that reliable color and a good habit and foliage. The selection is sometimes sold under the name 'Varnadoe's Phlox Pink'.

In early spring the shrub opens showy, fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers in dark pink, before or as the new leaves emerge, with the long curving stamens and sweet, honeysuckle scent that make the Piedmont azalea so cherished. The species name canescens means becoming gray, for the soft down on the leaf undersides, and the genus name Rhododendron means rose tree in Greek. In milder areas the leaves are sometimes held well into winter, so the plant reads as nearly evergreen where frosts are light, and fully deciduous farther north.

The Piedmont azalea is the most widespread native azalea in the Southeast, and 'Varnadoe's Pink' carries that easy adaptability, growing from nearly full shade to full sun and spreading gently by underground stems where happy. Like the wild species, the plant hybridizes readily with other native azaleas blooming nearby, part of the endless variation of the Southern woods. Grown for flower and fragrance rather than the table, the shrub is not for eating: like all Rhododendron, the leaves and nectar carry grayanotoxins.

An attractive, hardy shrub reaching ten to twelve feet, 'Varnadoe's Pink' suits the woodland edge, a native border, or a naturalistic drift, and is unusually forgiving of light. The plant flowers most heavily in a sunny spot, while the foliage often looks best with some afternoon shade, particularly in late summer, so a site with morning sun and dappled afternoon light offers the best of both. Give acidic, well-drained soil that stays slightly damp, a cool mulch, and companions of ferns, native phlox, and other deciduous azaleas for a layered spring.