#mins5

Rhododendron arborescens (Sweet Azalea)

Plant community: N/A

Native region/country: East from MS, north to NY and south to GA.  

Mature size: 12-36  feet tall.  4-10 feet spread. 

Habitat and/or preferred growing conditions:   Grows moist, acidic soil and requires full sun to part shade.  

Hardiness zone: 4-7

Leaf/flower color:  The leaves are shiny green on top and waxy below with three to seven flowers. Closely related to swamp azalea.   White flowers blushed with pink have protruding red stamens and a good scent.  

Does it burn?: Probably

Burn Quality: Unknown

Sources:

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RHAR3

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/rhododendron_arborescens.shtml

Stewartia Pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia)

Plant community: N/A

Native region/country: Japan

Mature size: 12-40 feet tall.  8-25 feet spread.  

Habitat and/or preferred growing conditions:   Grows in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Hardiness zone: 4-8

Leaf/flower color:  Flowers are cup-shaped, camellia-like and white (to 2.5" diameter) with showy orange-yellow anthers that appear in early summer. Leaves are  dark green (to 3" long) and turn reddish-orange and burgundy in the fall.  

Does it burn?: Probably

Burn Quality: Unknown

Sources:

Franklinia alatamaha (Franklin tree)

Plant community: N/A

Native region/country: Georgia

Mature size: 10-20 feet tall.  6-15 feet spread

Habitat and/or preferred growing conditions: organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Hardiness zone: 5-8

Leaf/flower color:  Leaves are narrow, oblong-obovate, glossy dark green leaves (to 5” long) and turn shades of orange, red and purple in autumn.  Flowers are camellia-like, cup-shaped, 5-petaled, sweetly-fragrant, white flowers (to 3” diameter) and bloom in late summer to early fall.  

Wildlife resource: Pollen for bees

Does it burn?: Probably

Burn Quality: Unknown

Sources:

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=FRAL