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@arielheryanto.com Oct 8, 2026, 11:59 PM

@tkg-nc.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 1:07 AM

The Wild Harvest Digest: October 2026, #1

Welcome back neighbors,

Our plant focus this week is a plant that I have a long professional history with but is a bit obscure out here in the southeast. #Rhododendron #VanVleckHouseandGardens #NJ #Montclair #Azalea

Today we’re going to talk about the other half of the Rhododendron family because while all true Azaleas are Rhododendrons, not all Rhododendrons are Azaleas and we’re talking about the non-Azaleas. Why are we covering these plants? Well the Southeast is the land of the Azaleas but every now and again their bigger more botanically numerous cousins poke their heads out of a hedgerow. It is perhaps a botanical irony that Azaleas get rarer the farther north you go because often they cannot handle the winter cold. Let’s start with what a Rhododendron is before we talk about the specific specimen I photographed for this article. Rhododendrons are members of the Ericaceae family which means they are related to Blueberries, Cranberries, Wintergreen and, Leucothoe, amongst many others. The name Rhododendron translated from its Greek roots comes from two words ‘rhodo’ and ‘dendron’ which mean rose and tree respectively and that name certainly fits. The most obvious difference between a Rhododendron and an Azalea is the leaves. Azaleas typically have soft somewhat fuzzy leaves that may shed in a cold winter. Rhododendrons on the other hand are broad leaf evergreens with tough leathery leaves that are elliptical shaped with a simple margin.

The Rhododendron’s branching pattern is alternate and generally their flowers can have many Anthers/Stamen, Azaleas by comparison only tend to have five of those. In the specimen we’re looking at in this post; a Pontic Rhododendron has ten Anthers/Stamen which is a crucial identification trait. Just in case some of you out there are wondering what an ‘anther/stamen’ is, the Stamen is comprised of two parts. The tip of the Stamen is the Anther, and the structure attaching that to the rest of the flower is the Filament, together they make up the ‘male’ part of the flower as they produce and release pollen. In the case of Rhododendrons they normally have about ten of these. The biological reason for this is two-fold; numerous stamens ensure that pollen transfer happens, but also its redundancy in case of physical damage.

The specimen pictured is known as a Pontic Rhododendron, but it is also called a Common Rhododendron. The scientific name for this plant is (Rhododendron ponticum baeticum) and it is a non-native species as it originates from Bulgaria, Lebanon and the Caucasus. The specific epithet ‘ponticum’ means ‘coming from pontus’ which is a region located on the southern shore of the Black Sea. Despite that Pontic Rhododendrons are surprisingly well-adapted to our climate and you can probably find one listed as a ‘Common Rhododendron’ at most garden centers and nurseries’. In Zone 8B, we’re roughly at the south most limits of the Pontic’s range though some sources suggest it can go all the way into Zone 9 with special care. What makes the plant special is its bloom time as it picks up after the Azealas are done. It’s normal for a Pontic to bloom between May and July, but also respond to a gentle pruning with another series of blooms as late as September. So while most things are scorched by our usual August heat, this shrub is producing some glorious color. The best part of this Rhododendron is that on average maybe six feet tall but is at its best if the prune it to four or five feet so it doesn’t get a leggy sort of appearance. Now about for that professional history I hinted at the beginning of this post? For most of a decade I worked at a botanical garden called VanVleck House and Gardens as part of the grounds crew. Here’s a link to their website:

https://montclairfoundation.org/

Take a guess in that four garden plants they specialize in, Chinese Wisteria, Japanese Wisteria, Rhododendrons, and believe it or not Azaleas. Even back then, those and a few other really interesting oddities were the norm for working there. Of course they had few Pontic Rhododendrons and a Few Pontic Azaleas as well. One of their more interesting features was that they had a Southern Magnolia the specific variety was ‘Edith Bouge’ and it was a mature full-size tree that was unfortunately sterile but it also was impossibly far north and living in a strange microclimate outdoors in-ground. The point though of mentioning this, is that from there I gained a very specific set of skills in caring for our main attractions and finding a Pontic Rhododendron poking out of a shrub row was a delight.

@rayhourigan.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 6:22 AM

Hedgerows transformed in
Bright, blushing hues, a trail of
Pink azaleas.
#BraveWrite #azalea #haiku #poem #writing #writingcommunity
@bravewrite.bsky.social

@masayuki60.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy Sep 29, 2026, 8:24 PM

Even warmer today, but it's dry and the sky is clear. We're loving this.

#dog #dogs #DogsOfMastodon #AdoptDontShop #rescuedog #photography #FujiFilm #Pixel10Pro #autumn #leaves #colors #azalea #treetrunkTuesday

A white and brown dog lying in his yard in the shade. A Japanese magnolia's trunks in the background.

A white and brown dog standing in his yard in the shade, as the sun shines on his face and in the background.

A phone photo of a tree in a store parking lot with green, yellow, and orange leaves against the blue sky

Light red blossoms of second-round azalea

@hitomihcx.bsky.social Sep 28, 2026, 7:11 AM

Kameyama Park/亀山公園/2026.09.26
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
 #KameyamaPark #亀山公園
 #ArashiyamaPark #嵐山公園
 #NearbyPark #近所の公園
 #AutumnLeaves #紅葉
 #Azalea #ツツジ #躑躅
 #CherryBlossoms #桜
 #WinterCherry #十月桜
 #ClusterAmaryllis #彼岸花
 #曼珠沙華 #リコリス

@avech.bsky.social Sep 25, 2026, 5:36 PM

This #foliagefriday I am at a preschool teaching! I would show you all of the #blossoming children but no. Here is a #satsuki #azalea; It reminds me a lot of how #flamingos look! #nature #photography #naturephotography #flower #flowers #pink #white

A picture of two flowers facing away from each other. Both flowers are in the center of the picture and face outward. The flowers have white petals and pink streaks through them. There is a distinctly red stamen coming out of each flower. They are both sitting on the same branch and the background is a bed of deep green leaves.

@arielheryanto.com Sep 25, 2026, 10:51 AM

#azalea

@hitomihcx.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 7:02 AM

Kameyama Park/亀山公園/2026.09.19
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
 #KameyamaPark #亀山公園
 #ArashiyamaPark #嵐山公園
 #NearbyPark #近所の公園
 #Azalea #ツツジ #躑躅
 #CherryBlossoms #桜
 #WinterCherry #十月桜

@masayuki60.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy Sep 22, 2026, 9:24 PM

A few hours of summer are left...sad for the end of watermelons and peaches, but I'm so ready for autumn.

#dog #dogs #DogsOfMastodon #AdoptDontShop #rescuedog #photography #FujiFilm #mushrooms #azalea #spider #nature

A white and brown dog standing in his yard, caught between shakes

A white and brown dog standing on green grass in his yard in the sun, looking like a wildlife in a savannah?

A pink azalea blossoms on the right; one larger and one smaller spiders on their webs on the left side

Four brown mushrooms nestled among grass

@wdcgardener.bsky.social Sep 22, 2026, 4:41 PM

The Fall 2026 Azalean is being mailed to ASA members.
Inside:
- Chauncey Beadle and the Biltmore Estate Azalea Garden
- Cultivating in the Cliffs: The Horticultural Triumph of #Azaleas at Cedar Lakes Woods and Garden
- #Azalea Lacebug
and much more...
If you are not an ASA member, join:
azaleas.org

@jnshaumeyer.bsky.social Sep 19, 2026, 2:30 PM

This #Golden azalea (Rhododendron astrinum 'Earl's Gold') was in the azalea collection at the [US] National Arboretum, Washington, DC.

5 May 2018

#BlueskyArtShow #USNA #Azalea

This is a close-up view of a clump of dark yellow, five-petal blooms, with very long stamens, on an azalea bush. It's at the top of a slender brown stem, surrounded by a dozen buds ready to open.

In the blurred background are some other flower clumps on the same shrub as well as additional greenery trees in this woodland setting.

@masayuki60.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy Sep 18, 2026, 10:30 PM

#TGIF
It's still very hot...but next week is forecast to be suddenly very cool. I believe it when I feel it.
Have a good evening and a great weekend, everyone.

#dog #dogs #DogsOfMastodon #AdoptDontShop #rescuedog #photography #FujiFilm #azalea #bumblebee #flowers

A white and brown dog lying in his bed, caught scratching behind his ear.

A white and brown dog's face close up in his bed

A white and brown dog standing in his yard looking toward the right side of the screen

A bumblebee is collecting nectar deep in a pink azalea blossom

@bobsegel.com Sep 9, 2026, 3:40 PM

Bob’s Picture of the Day
#Photography, #Azalea, #Flowers, #BloomScrolling, #PhotoOfTheDay, #PhotographersOnBluesky, #ArtistsOnBluesky, #DailyPhoto, #iPhone

Today’s picture is of white azalea flowers from the Rhododendron genus. ©️BobSegel

@ponzphoto.bsky.social Sep 6, 2026, 12:59 PM

"The Butterfly and the Azalea" - Photographed April 17, 2022, in Palmyra, Virginia. 📷

#butterfly #azalea #flower #nature

@neonposts.bsky.social Sep 6, 2026, 3:18 AM

Iggy Azalea

#adult #Azalea #Beauty #contentcreator #Curvy #Exclusive #Fansly #followme #hot #Iggy #IggyAzalea #leaked #Leaks #lingerie #Model #Nude #onlyfansmodel #Sexy #Thicc #viral