Rhododendron and azalea are popular ornamental plants both indoors and outdoors. To be clear, there is a difference between plants, but it is difficult to understand today.
What is the difference between rhododendron and azalea?
Azaleas are a subgenus of rhododendrons. Both belong to the Rhododendron plant genus. The difference is mainly in gardening language: garden azaleas lose their leaves in winter, while rhododendrons keep them.
Is the azalea related to the rhododendron?
TheAzaleais arelative of the rhododendron It is also said that all azaleas are rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas. This is because the term “azalea” is only used for certain varieties and species from the plant genus “Rhododendron”.
The explanation for this “confusion of terms” lies in the past, because in the 18th century the natural scientist Carl von Linné created the genus Azalea, which included six species. Today the name azalea is mainly used as a common name.
Are indoor azaleas also a rhododendron?
Indoor azaleas belong to theplant genus Rhododendron. As a rule, these are the species
- Rhododendron simsii (Indian Azalea) and
- Rhododendron japonicum (Japanese azalea).
Several hundred varieties of each species have been bred. Indoor azaleas bloom from September to April if they are given a cool location during this time.
Why aren't all hardy rhododendrons called azeleas?
Thedifferencebetween hardy rhododendrons and azaleas comes from thegarden language, which refers to an older classification of the plant genus Rhododendron. The two hardy species Rhododendron luteum and molle are called garden azaleas because they do not have leaves in winter. Plants that do not lose their foliage during the cold season are called rhododendrons.
Tip
Pay attention to the plant characteristics when purchasing
Since laypeople can hardly tell the difference between azalea and rhododendron, you should pay less attention to the name and more to the properties of the plants when buying. This is how you get an ornamental plant that will impress you with its sea of flowers.
