Nevermind on this question. I had not looked closely enough and was noticing pods which had fallen before turning brown (presumably from strong winds). Anyhow, I now see pods turning brown on the plant (which have seeds attached). I suppose it's best to let these get as brown/dried as possible before picking (even if risking them falling)?? I accidently also double posted this to native plants section thinking that this one hadn't posted correctly etc. Sorry.

Florida: There are azaleaa native to Florida: R. austrinum, the Florida Azalea 5', -5F. It is a deciduous azalea found from northwest Florida to Georgia, Alabama and southeast Mississippi. This plant blooms in early spring as the leaves are beginning to expand. The fragrant, sometimes lemony, blossoms come in shades of orange through gold and yellow with a reddish tube, and measure approximately 1 to 1.5 inches across. This species has very long stamens and the tube of the flower is often flushed with red but there is no blotch. Discovered by Dr. A. W. Chapman before 1865, R. austrinum is similar in many respects to R. canescens including the sticky glandular hairs on the flower tube, but differs in the color variations which are orange to yellow rather than pink to white. R. austrinum makes an excellent landscape plant as well as a valuable hybridizing resource, especially in southern gardens where heat tolerance is important. It is a tetraploid, meaning it has twice the number of chromosomes of most rhododendrons and as a result will not hybridize with them. Natural hybrids between R. austrinum and R. canescens do occur but aren't common since R. austrinum is found in upland woods and R. canescens is found in low areas near streams. Although R. austrinum resembles R. canescens, it is more closely related to R. luteum and R. occidentale. R. canescens, the Florida Pinxter or Piedmont Azalea 5', -5F. It has white to pinkish tubular flowers with stamens two to three times longer than the petals. It is often confused with R. periclymenoides. Both are medium deciduous azaleas that are found in the Carolinas but can be separated by the flower tubes, which in R. periclymenoides are fuzzy. R. canescens also has tiny hairs, but they are sticky and glandular. Another noticeable difference is that when a flower of R. periclymenoides dies, a ridge on the corolla tube tends to catch on the end of the pistil so that a flower cluster past its prime consists of several dangling blossoms. Although widespread in the eastern half of the U.S., these two wild azaleas differ in distribution. In South Carolina, for example, R. periclymenoides is a Piedmont plant, with almost no specimens reported from the Sandhills or Coastal plain, while R. canescens is predominantly a Low Country plant absent from the Piedmont, except in counties that border the Savannah River. In general, if it grows wild north of South Carolina, it's likely R. periclymenoides; south of the Palmetto State and it's probably R. canescens. Both species prefer moist, humus-laden, acidic soil but seem to do equally well in shade or sun. Old specimens can reach heights of 12-15 feet and have multiple stems or trunks up to 5" in diameter. Rhododendron canescens was discovered by Mark Catesby, who published a picture of it in 1731. Michaux collected it in South Carolina between 1784 and 1796. It was probably introduced to England in the mid-eighteenth century. R canescens forms natural hybrids with several species that occur within its geographic range. For other heat tolerant azaleas visit my website: Heat Tolerant Rhododendrons and Azaleas where you will find lists of: The Aromi Hybrid Deciduous Azaleas which were bred in Alabama. The Southern Indica Hybrids which are Evergreen Azaleas that are quite popular.

The poppies are beautiful, I really like those. Of course, you know I love Amazing Don. Your azaleas look so pretty too. Rhododendrons bloomed really nicely here this year after doing nothing last year. Guess they were trying to make up for lost time. I bought a deciduous azalea a couple of years ago, got it on clearance & couldn't pass it up. I should have taken a picture of it. It still isn't very big, but bright flame orange flowers really catch the eye. Nothing like yours though, I assume that is several azaleas there?

Nevermind on this question. I had not looked closely enough and was noticing pods which had fallen before turning brown (presumably from strong winds). Anyhow, I now see pods turning brown on the plant (which have seeds attached). I suppose it's best to let these get as brown/dried as possible before picking (even if risking them falling)?? I accidently also double posted this to the seed propagation section - thinking that post had not posted correctly etc. Sorry.