Are azaleas a type of rhododendron?

[Dahlia]

My plant app kept saying "rhododendron" for these two flowers. I think the bushy one is an azalea.

 

[SPedigrees]

My plant app kept saying "rhododendron" for these two flowers. I think the bushy one is an azalea.

It seems they are.

This from https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/flower-gardening/rhododendron-vs-azalea/ :

Are Rhododendrons and Azaleas the Same?​

The two plants are very closely related. In fact, azaleas are actually part the rhododendron genus. This means all azaleas are technically rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

It seems they are.

This from https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/flower-gardening/rhododendron-vs-azalea/ :

Are Rhododendrons and Azaleas the Same?​

The two plants are very closely related. In fact, azaleas are actually part the rhododendron genus. This means all azaleas are technically rhododendrons, but not all rhododendrons are azaleas.

Interesting discussion. I never really thought about it that way.
Most Azaleas are deciduous, but true Rhododendrons are usually evergreen. Azaleas have funnel shaped flowers. Rhodi flowers tend to be bell-shaped but I think are have very similar flower form. All the azalea’s are evergreen in my zone. They best was to distinguish rhody’s from azaleas are the leaves which are huge for rhody’s with a thick heavy texture and azalea’s have much smaller leaves with a light weight and texture .

I prefer the dwarf azalea’s which require next to nothing in trimming, easy to manage and stay in their own space. These dwarf hybrids also have amazing two tone colors and several varieties that also have double blooms.
Both azalea’s and rhody’s have a wide variety of colors to choose.

There are also compact rhododendrons to add to your home landscape especially for smaller gardens and easier to maintain. There are many different dwarf rhododendrons in amazing colors and beautiful compact blooms. They bloom in spring and add the appearance and color that showcase the arrival of spring in many gardens in the PNW, and in zones 5-8.

It is Rhody season here in the PNW and they are all in full bloom this time of year.
I have some rhody’s that are as big as small understory trees . While others have been keep down to shrub sizes along with the dwarfs and compact styles all around the garden. It’s like living on a parade of a floral float of flowers around the entire house that brightens up any room from the windows. Cheers.

 

[flowerbug]

Eastern TN has some wonderful places to see the rhodies in bloom.

 

[Dahlia]

Interesting discussion. I never really thought about it that way.
Most Azaleas are deciduous, but true Rhododendrons are usually evergreen. Azaleas have funnel shaped flowers. Rhodi flowers tend to be bell-shaped but I think are have very similar flower form. All the azalea’s are evergreen in my zone. They best was to distinguish rhody’s from azaleas are the leaves which are huge for rhody’s with a thick heavy texture and azalea’s have much smaller leaves with a light weight and texture .

I prefer the dwarf azalea’s which require next to nothing in trimming, easy to manage and stay in their own space. These dwarf hybrids also have amazing two tone colors and several varieties that also have double blooms.
Both azalea’s and rhody’s have a wide variety of colors to choose.

There are also compact rhododendrons to add to your home landscape especially for smaller gardens and easier to maintain. There are many different dwarf rhododendrons in amazing colors and beautiful compact blooms. They bloom in spring and add the appearance and color that showcase the arrival of spring in many gardens in the PNW, and in zones 5-8.

It is Rhody season here in the PNW and they are all in full bloom this time of year.
I have some rhody’s that are as big as small understory trees . While others have been keep down to shrub sizes along with the dwarfs and compact styles all around the garden. It’s like living on a parade of a floral float of flowers around the entire house that brightens up any room from the windows. Cheers.

I love your pic of the butterfly on the flower!!

 

[digitS']

The drive through the Coast Range from the Rogue River Valley down the Smith River to the Pacific Coast — beautiful rhododendrons and dogwood .

I saw my first Swallowtail butterfly yesterday.

My reading this morning was about "Ice Crawler" bugs ... that picture lifted and warmed the images in my mind.

Steve

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

It is amazing the value of spring trees, shrubs and bulbs akin to the PNW. It is always a joyous scene and coupled with a butterfly or two can actually give hope for more to come.

Close up pic of the garden dogwood bracts in bloom and rhody’s always attract bee’s .

 

[Phaedra]

Most of our azaleas are blossoming earlier than Rhododendrons, here is one we transplanted from the old flower bed - originally, it's behind a much larger Rhododendron and can't get sufficient resources. Now, it is doing well in a large pot.