They may grow. Native azaleas require full sun. Btw, your soil is very very suspect for growing them. Shade will only reduce the amount of flowering. Your soil? Another story.

Good luck

You may have to rethink where you want to put these, they are absolutely worth growing. Hank Schannen at Rare Find nursery would be a great resource for you. Great guy very knowlegable, great nursery.

My yard has about ten rhododendrons growing in heavy, acid, clay loam. From full shade to morning sun. They're doing all right.

I recommend very ordinary big box store rhododendrons - they're the toughest and easiest to grow and cheap too.

My mother has a neighbor who has big rhododendrons at the top of a north slope under trees, and the soil there is nasty rocky clay.

But are they native rhodies birdgardner? Natives will do ok in shade. They'll do 'best' and be at their most floriferous in full sun.

Clay soil? Retains too much moisture (IMO) and where or where are those tiny root tendrils to expand to?

I have over 125 rhodies growing on my property (native azaleas, exbury's, elipidotes, lepidotes). While my soil is a nice loam; there are certain parts of NJ (especially Somerset County, where that red clay is nearly impossible to grow what is being considered).

While I ascribe to the 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' mentality, I would NOT go full throttle in thinking I can grow rhodies indiscriminately in such soil.

It's definitely going to need soil amendments and a good rototilling before I'd plant anything in that type of soil.

Just my opinion.

I have gotten what was labeled as Rhododendron catawbiense "Boursault" (hope I spelled that right) at Home Depot in one gallon pots. I planted them here in N. Georgia in clay soil. I did amend the soil with composted pine bark (mixing it with the native soil, not replacing) and I planted them just slightly higher than soil level for better drainage. So far, except for the ones some borer destroyed, most of them are doing fine. Too young to bloom and I probably planted them in too much shade to boot. But I didn't know then.

Steven,

R. maximum grows in shady, wet locations in nature, typically along streams and rivers, in swamps, and on seepage slopes. To wit, it doesn't mind wet feet. In the garden I would plant it in a shady location with even moisture. R. catawbiense on the other hand prefers more well drained soils in full sun. It is the famous rhodo species that covers the southern balds with purple in June. For both species I would ammend your current soil with organic matter simply because they enjoy organic, rich, acidic soils. In the south both species can be found growing in clay based soils, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Enjoy them, they are great plants.

PF

Birdsong72, this is Somerset Co. red clay (loamy red clay but it will crack in dry weather) and all I can say is it beats Union Co. clay/rocks by a mile. Some plants I just can't grow but the rhodies are okay (not great but okay).

I have mostly catawba and maximus types or crosses and three yak hybrids. I grow a few in slightly raised mounds (about six inches originally, but they sunk). There's one white one growing in deep shade under pines, growing almost horizontal in search of light, and it blooms if the deer don't eat it. It has character. There's a monster lavender one near my front door, in a raised bed, leaching alkalinity from the foundation, and I have to hack it back.

I've got native azaleas (austrinum, candulaceum, flammeum) under pines with full sun from the south - they need irrigation even though they're heavily mulched. The ones with a north exposure near but not under the pines don't need watering unless there is an absolute drought. Also mulched with pine needles.

I've got ordinary hybrid Japanese type azaleas flourishing with morning sun. Have to cut them back. My mother with horrible Union Co. clay in a hollow can grow Jap. azaleas but not Rhodies; her neighbors up the hill (northern exposure) can grow Rhodies, maximus and catawba. A slope helps. Don't be a ground-cleaning, leaf blowing fanatic - the neighbor with pachysandra and fifty years of fallen leaves has big healthy rhododendrons and the obsessive leaf haters have wimpy spindly ones.

My conclusion: you can grow many rhododendrons in some kinds of clay, in some locations, without a whole lot of trouble. Experiment with the cheap ones first. Slope, leaf or pine mulch, east or north exposure, not too much competion with tree roots will give the best results.

I wholeheartedly agree with your comments to initially start with the hardy 'box store' specimens as they're the hardiest.

You're doing just fine in Somerset Co. based on what I see as soil up there. I work in Somerset, though I live down in Monmouth co.

Although I did a lot of soil amendment to my soil first, I am growing (successfully so far but it's early yet!) native rhodies (r carolineanum and r minus) and Kalmia (the species which I heard was really hard to plant and keep living) in morning sun only. I have loads of new growth on both and the Kalmia is just coming into bloom. I was a bit nervous when I put the Kalmia in the ground...she was pretty dry and a bit chlorotic looking. (Our soil in this area is quite alkaline. My yard used to be farmland and is a bit more acidic). She has perked up quite a bit although she does not have deep green beautiful leaves just yet!

Robin