Things Change

As plants grow, sometimes I have had to deal with increasing tree canopy creating more shade over time. I have written before about having to trim trees, even remove them, to open the landscape back up for healthy growth on the understory. This month I realized that nature had accomplished that for me when I found a single bloom cluster on an azalea in the woods.

Over the last 3-4 years, a number of trees have naturally fallen during storms in the wooded part of my property. I knew this azalea was there; it is natural to the property and grows along the top of the bank overlooking a small creek. I’ve never seen it bloom even though it is clearly mature enough. It was light that it needed.

My azalea in the woods (Rhododendron canescens)

So while I’m sorry to have lost those trees, the azalea and many other plants will get a chance to grow, bloom, and disperse seeds for a little while until the canopy fills in again. The flowers are open now, revealing that this azalea is a perfectly lovely Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens).