Perhaps Lactuca canadensis? This page also covers Lactuca biennis and Lactuca serriola, with copious details and maps for each species: http://www.florafinder.com/Species/Lactuca_canadensis.php If your blooms, pay attention to the flower color, as that varies among the wild lettuces. [Mind you, I won't swear it isn't some other species entirely!]

Nothing new about 'Hino Crimson'.....one of the most popular older varieties of evergreen azalea. And I'd not consider it particularly adept at self-cleaning. The spent flowerheads are easily caught in the dense foliage but also easy to remove with just a gentle shake or raking. This is an excellent choice for a foundation planting as it is quite a compact shrub that tends to grow wider than tall with time. Height will be variable with age but you should expect 2-3 feet and 3-5' in width.

Is the soil moist when you insert a finger to a depth of 4"? It may be getting dry spells and wet spells due to the summer temperatures. Evenly moist soil should be the goal. Azalea roots grow mostly in the top 4" of the soil and are very tiny and fibruous. This area also tends to dry out fast during summer when the winds pick up and the temps regularly stay in the 100s. Long periods of drought will weaken plants, allowing them to suffer from other ailments like fungal infections. Overwatering can also cause problems and root rot so try to water when the soil starts to feel almost dry. Some wilting of leaves is ok provided they recover when the sun goes down or by next morning. Extreme looking wilting episodes however should be dealt with immediately (ie, apply about 1 gallon of water) since a rootball that dries out may be difficult to save (of all things, they actually tend to repel water so you have to drip irrigate them or dunk the shrub in a container full of water). What kind of soil do you have? Most locations the DFW Area require planting in raised beds because of the clay content. I noticed no mulch under the shrubs in some pictures; I would maintain 3-4" of acidic mulch past the drip line. I would also try to water with rain barrel water (or something similar) as our water is as alkaline as our soil. It is common to have some leaf spots this time of the year. And watering the leaves can cause this too. I could not get a good grasp of how many leaves in the shrub have them; if it is only a few, you may not want to take action except to use good sanitation techniques. Examples: never wanter the leaves; water the soil only and do it early in the mornings; dispose of plant debris under the shrubs; throw away infected leaves in the trash instead of the compost pile; allow for good air movement between plants by separating the shrubs; etc Fertilize if your soil needs it but stop by July so tender new growth does not get zapped when winter arrives. Azaleas tend to feed off the decomposing mulch and are not heavy feeders. Some Hollytone or cotton seed meal in Spring should be fine.

Hello, heckabore. Normally, pruning after the rhodie has set flower buds would cause your problem. However, since it has not been pruned in 5-6 years, something else is causing the problem. Do you mind answering some questions? How close is it planted in relation to the other plants, shrubs and/or trees? Can you give us an idea in terms of plant types and inches/feet of separation? Has the plant ever bloomed... at all? Do you have flower buds now or did the plant not even set buds at all? If it has buds, how do they look? Healthy? Are they browned out? Do they look like they have hair covering them? (That is a sign of a fungal infection.) Do you have animals that could eat the flower buds in your city? Deer and squirrels have been known to eat the buds in some locales. If the plant is not developing buds, how much and when do you fertlize? Could it be getting too much nitrogen directly (when you fertilize it) and indirectly (from lawn fertilizers)? Normally, you do not need to fertilize rhodies as they feed off the decomposing mulch. But if you have to fertilize due to poor soils or because it is in a pot then the plant could stay busy in growing mode if you apply fertilizers after July or so. July or so is when the plant begins developing flower buds for next year. Cold weather can be issue but I doubt it would be THE issue for so many years in Zone 9. Moreover, I would have expected it to be an issue for the azaleas too. Very wet conditions could also cause problems during summer so let us know if you normally have cool wet summers. Lack of sun can also be an issue although I would be suspicious of that if the nearby azaleas are blooming as well as you say. Is the plant suffering from moisture issues at the time it is developing the flower buds (July-August)? This could be an issue to nearby azaleas but it surprises me that all of them are doing ok. How much and how often do you water during the summer? If they are drowned in water during this critical time, they may be unable to develop buds. Ditto for lack of water. Soil Ph might be an issue too but it would have affected the other azaleas. Lack of certain micro nutrients in the soil can trigger this behaviour in rhodies but, again, I am surprised that the nearby azaleas have not been affected. When was the last time that you had a soil test? Lastly and this is not a cop out, I have heard of some varieties of rhododendron that never bloom but I doubt yours would be if the label showed otherwise. People buy them for the foliage. Of course, you did mention that the missing plant label indicated otherwise. If we cannot figure something out, do not feel obliged to keep this weak specimen. Some plants like roses (Queen Elizabeth for example) sometimes bloom poorly or not all. Luis