"Bluff Mountain Gold Flame"
R. Calendulaceum, the Flame Azalea, is
a tall deciduous azalea found from southwest Pennsylvania south through the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia and Alabama and west to West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. It is surely one of the most spectacular native shrubs of the Appalachian Mountains. The flowers are larger than most of the natives, measuring from 1.5 to 2.5 inches across, and come in a wide range of colors from brilliant shades of yellow to orange or red, with a large prominent yellow to orange blotch on the upper lobe (petal). R. calendulaceum, described as Azalea lutea by Linnaeus in 1753 and changed by him to A. nudiflora in 1762, was discovered in Northern Georgia in 1774 by William Bartram who described the species as Azalea flammea in 'Travels' (1790). There were numerous introductions from America to Europe where the species was highly prized. This species is difficult to propagate by cuttings, but is easily raised from seed. R. calendulaceum is a naturally occurring tetraploid, having twice the number of chromosomes in comparison to the other native species. Because of this fact, it does not hybridize easily with most of the other natives and even if a first generation cross is made, the resulting hybrids are often sterile.