Dr. Smitherman retired after forty years of service with Auburn University Department of Fisheries and International Center for Aquaculture where he taught at the graduate level in the areas of fish farming and genetics. He was responsible for fish genetics and breeding with catfish and also developed improved strains of catfish, which are now used on most fish farms in the USA, with annual production of nearly 1 billion pounds. Dr. Smitherman has spent 40 years collecting and breeding native azaleas. In the process he has made some 500 experimental crosses with the goals of improving flower size, color and fragrance. Smitty was a very instrumental factor in the process of recognizing the recently acclaimed species Rhododendron colemanii. In fact he crossed the species with the exbury azalea 'Gibraltar' and produced the cultitvar 'Patsy's Pink' which has been registered by the RHS and was featured in the recent excellent article by Dr. Ron Miller about R. colemanii in the ARS journal. He has registered 'Corley's Cardinal' and 8 other native azalea cultivars. Currently he is working with the Davis Arboretum at Auburn with a goal of acquiring a full collection on southeast native rhododendron. This work has led him to exploring many of the natural areas where natives are located. His presentation will include discussion of this work as well as his hybridization efforts. He recently spoke for the Azalea Chapter. You should be able to get contact information from Ken Gohring at 770-422-0924, or Email: KGohring@aol.com

My website lists all 26 native rhododendron and azaleas in the USA. It is at: Common Native Rhododendrons and Azaleas of North America. Hank Schannen's Rare Find Nursery in New Jersey carries the following native azaleas and rhododendrons: R. (AZALEA) alabamense 'Frosty' AKA 'Terry Greer' R. (AZALEA) arborescens R. (AZALEA) atlanticum R. (AZALEA) austrinum R. (AZALEA) austrinum "Choctaw-Hatchee Seedlings" R. (AZALEA) austrinum 'Dave Lewis' Yellow' R. (AZALEA) austrinum 'Wise Decision' R. (AZALEA) calendulaceum R. (AZALEA) canescens R. (AZALEA) canescens 'Camilla's Blush' R. (AZALEA) canescens 'Varnadoes Phlox Pink' R. (AZALEA) cumberlandense (bakeri) R. (AZALEA) periclymenoides R. (AZALEA) periclymenoides 'Lavender Girl' R. (AZALEA) prinophyllum (previously roseum) R. (AZALEA) prunifolium R. (AZALEA) vaseyi R. (AZALEA) vaseyi 'White Find' R. (AZALEA) viscosum Swamp Azalae R. (AZALEA) viscosum 'Betty Cummins' R. (AZALEA) viscosum 'Dave Lewis Pink Volunteer' R. (AZALEA) viscosum 'Delaware Blue' R. (AZALEA) viscosum 'Pink Mist' RHODODENDRON catawbiense (Mountain Rosebay Rhododendron) RHODODENDRON maximum (Rosebay Rhododendron) RHODODENDRON maximum 'Curly Leaf Seedlings' RHODODENDRON minus pink form RHODODENDRON minus 'Chatahoochi Dawn' RHODODENDRON minus carolinianum group They all are native plants but they are selected as being the best forms of the plants. Some are named, others aren't. Another great place to buy native Azaleas and Rhododendrons is Jim Gear's Octoraro Farm Nursery. Jim is a native plant specialist and has the following: R. alabamense - (Alabama Azalea) R. alabamense 'Frosty' R. arborescens (Sweet Azalea) R. arborescens var. georgiana R. atlanticum (Coast Azalea) R. austrinum (Florida Azalea) R. austrinum 'Calamity Junction' R. 'Don's Variegated Austrinum' R. austrinum 'Millie Mac' R. austrinum 'Pretty One' R. calendulaceum (Flame Azalea) R. canescens (Piedmont Azalea) R. canescens 'Camilla's Blush' R. 'Varnadoes Phlox Pink Canescens' R. cumberlandense (formerly bakeri, Cumberland Azalea) R. flammeum (formerly speciosum, Oconee Azalea) R. flammeum 'Double Pleasure' R. periclymenoides (formerly nudiflorum, Pinxterbloom) R. periclymenoides 'Lavender Girl' R. prinophyllum (formerly roseum, Roseshell Azalea) R. prunifolium (Plumleaf Azalea) R. prunifolium 'Little Red Riding Hood' R. vaseyi (Pinkshell Azalea) R. viscosum (Swamp Azalea) R. viscosum 'Summer Eyelet' R. viscosum var. serrulatum (Hammocksweet Azalea) R. maximum (Rosebay Rhododendron) R. minus var. minus (Carolina Rhododendron) A major rhododendron nursery near you is Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, MA near I 495 and the Mass Pike. They carry a few native plants: Rhododendron canadense 'Rhodora Azalea' Rhododendron catawbiense Album Rhododendron catawbiense ÂAlbum Elegans Rhododendron catawbiense ÂBoursault Rhododendron maximum (Rosebay Rhododendron) There are some plants native to the West Coast that don't seem to make it on the East Coast, so be careful of ordering from a West Coast nursery. Good Luck.

Azalea seed? I've always wondered about that - with all those flowers, where are the seeds? But my mom just propagated them by laying a branch, still connected to the bush, in loose dirt and putting a rock on top of it. Once it grows good roots, cut it off, and there you go - a free azalea. And I see them planted in huge clusters everywhere down here in southern MS; never noticed signs of disease on the natives. Some of them are ten feet tall, at least, in an enormous mass. I'd think you'd be safe planting them that way as long as you give them lots of room. Of course, this late, you've already got them planted, I'm guessing. :)

Here in Richmond we have Stranges'. Not sure what they have, but usually a lot of options in the Glen Ellen store at Short Pump. Have you tried Southern States?