Beating the Heat: Azaleas and Rhododendrons
This week’s featured garden is bursting with azaleas and rhododendrons, plants that many gardeners in the southern plains find challenging to grow. Extreme summer heat can take its toll on these spring beauties. Several breeding programs have focused on heat tolerance including the Southgate™ series of Rhododendron hyperythrum hyrbids developed by Dr. John Thornton and the Aromi heat-tolerant azalea hybrids developed by Dr. Gene Aromi. This website is helpful in selecting varieties that can take the heat: http://www.rhodyman.net/rhodynsh.php#anchorHEAT.
