Rhododendron austrinum hybrid 'Colonel Mosby'

A boldly fragrant Southern native hybrid, bearing the colors of dawn and the memory of place.

Among the great flowering shrubs of the South, few are as storied or as striking as those in the Confederate Series, and ‘Colonel Mosby’ may well be its most arresting figure. A hybrid between the golden-flowered Rhododendron austrinum—Florida’s native flame azalea—and the vibrant cultivar ‘Hotspur Yellow’, this selection is the result of careful, thoughtful breeding by Dodd & Dodd Nurseries in Semmes, Alabama.

‘Colonel Mosby’ bears large, vividly colored trusses of fragrant blooms, each flower a rich dark pink, flared and fringed, with a glowing golden-yellow upper petal that seems lit from within. There is a quiet fire in these blossoms—a nod to the heat of Southern springs and the memory of flame azaleas blooming wild beneath longleaf pines.

Blooming in the early mid-season, this deciduous azalea announces itself just as the garden begins to stir in earnest, and its sweet, spicy fragrance drifts on warm air like something remembered from childhood woods. Like all native azaleas, ‘Colonel Mosby’ thrives in acidic, sandy soil that is well-drained yet retains moisture, best mulched with pine straw and set in morning sun or filtered light.

Origin: Hybrid of R. austrinum × ‘Hotspur Yellow’
Series: The Confederate Series (Dodd & Dodd Nurseries, Semmes, AL)
Bloom Time: Early mid-season (spring)
Flower Color: Dark pink with yellow upper petal; lightly fringed
Fragrance: Yes – sweet and spicy
Notable Traits: Fragrant, native-hybrid, vivid color, part of a historic cultivar series
Garden Uses: Native plantings, woodland edges, understory shrub, specimen accent