Enhance Your North Florida Yard with Low-Maintenance Native Azaleas

Tallahassee residents eagerly await the initial signs of spring, marked by the captivating display presented in our southern landscapes by the beloved yet non-native Indica azaleas (Rhododendron indicum). These iconic “Southern” azaleas have evergreen foliage and dazzle us with color. Flourishing in Tallahassee, many mistakenly believe these azaleas are native to the region. However, they originated in Asia and found their way here through England in the 1800s. True North Florida azaleas, often called bush honeysuckles, are relatives of the white and pink pastel-colored azaleas, but they have been here long before humankind was around to appreciate their beauty.

The piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) stands out as one of the earliest blooming species in North Florida, showcasing predominantly pink and rose-colored flowers with white accents. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.

Native azaleas, also known as “deciduous azaleas” or “wild azaleas,” are very different from their oriental cousins. They lose their leaves in the winter months, standing bare with plump, pointed flower buds clustered at the tip of each branch. Their branching is more upright than the traditional azalea and they vary in mature height from eight to 15 feet, depending on the species.

What makes these early-blooming native azaleas interesting is the sequence the buds go through before blooming. The first sign that something special is about to occur is when the flower buds swell from tight little clusters. These buds are a combination of flowers and foliage, and they swell until they appear to burst.

The honeysuckle-like flowers bloom on nearly naked stems in a palette of colors from gentle whites and pinks to brilliant yellows and intense oranges and reds. Most have flowers with a delightful fragrance. The individual florets are trumpet-shaped and borne in large terminal clusters, but it is the stamens and pistils that add delicate charm and interest.

There are five azaleas native to North Florida, all with unique heavenly fragrances:

Florida Flame Azalea. Photo by Elizabeth Georges

Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) is one of the earliest flowering species, blooming early March in North Florida. The flowers are primarily shades of pink and rose with white accents. It is one of the most widely distributed species found growing wild in our area.

Overlapping with the piedmont’s bloom is the Florida flame azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) found on wooded slopes in hardwood forests. This species can grow up to 15 feet tall and has a wide range of colors that includes pale yellow, deep gold, and bright orange.

The Alabama azalea (Rhododendron alabamense), seldom seen in our woodlands, boasts a distinctive white hue adorned with a yellow blotch in the throat. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.

Blooming around the same time is the Alabama azalea (Rhododendron alabamense),which makes a rare appearance in our woods and is white with a yellow blotch in the throat.

There are two summer blooming azaleas; the swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) blooms first in June or July, followed by the hammocksweet azalea (Rhododendron serrulatum) in July or August. Hammocksweet has often been lumped or confused with the swamp azalea, but the two are distinct in growth habit, flowering time, distribution, and other characteristics.

Hammocksweet azalea, distinct from the swamp azalea, grows up to 10 to 15 feet tall and is found in gallberry thickets, black water streams, and sinkhole edges, featuring fragrant white flowers that thrive in shaded and moist landscaping, avoiding the harsh summer sun. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.

Swamp azaleas are typically low growing, peaking at about eight feet tall and often sighted in bogs, wet flatwoods, and swamp edges. The hammocksweet azaleas will grow up to 10 to 15 feet tall and occur naturally in gallberry thickets, black water streams, and sinkhole edges. Both species have pure white fragrant flowers and, when planted in the landscape, will require more shade and moisture as the delicate flowers will not tolerate the hot summer sun.

Native to western central Georgia to South Carolina and flourishing in our region, the Oconee azalea (Rhododendron flammeum) stands out with its non-fragrant blooms that open in April, presenting an array of colors from pink and salmon to yellow, gold, orange, or red. Photo by Elizabeth Georges.

Another wild azalea that grows well in our area but is native to western central Georgia to South Carolina is the Oconee azalea (Rhododendron flammeum). Unlike the Florida native species, it has non-fragrant blooms that open in April as the new leaves emerge. Although this species is non-fragrant it has the widest variation in color of any North American azalea, from pink to salmon to yellow and gold to orange or red.

Deciduous azaleas aren’t hard to grow by any means, but they are a bit less forgiving than their evergreen counterparts. Start by choosing a location where it will receive dappled sun like underneath pines or scattered hardwood trees. A general rule is to choose a site with morning to midday sun and afternoon shade. If planted in too much shade, they will not bloom well. Well-drained, acidic soil that contains lots of organic matter from decaying leaves is also important for long term success. Your newly planted azalea will need regular watering for the first three years until established, especially during dry periods and throughout the summer months. If planted correctly they need little, if any pruning and fertilizer, and have few pests.

Florida flame azalea, combined with mountain laurel and Florida anise, graces the Secret Garden at Native Nurseries. Photo by Donna Legare.

The tiger swallowtail and Eastern black swallowtail always seem to be the first butterflies up and about in the cool of early spring. Native azaleas are one of the few nectar sources available at this time. It is truly delightful to sit and watch them delicately sip nectar while fanning their wings, slowly working their way across the colorful groves. The swallowtail part of the wing brushes the pollen and transfers it from the anther to the stigma just perfectly, showing a rare example of wing pollination. There are plenty of native bees visiting the flowers as well; they flit past the arched stamens to burrow down into the corolla and access the nectar. The stamens and the pistil don’t come close to brushing the bees as they pass, making the swallowtail butterflies the most efficient pollinator of native azaleas.

Wild azaleas are necessary plants for butterflies, and they also draw in birds (including hummingbirds) and other wildlife, ultimately supporting the local ecosystem. They make a wonderful addition to our landscapes in North Florida and do best in a natural woodland setting. If you plan it right, you can have a veritable parade of blooms from early spring to late summer with the right combination of species. I love to combine them in mixed plantings with other native woodland plants like rabbit-eye blueberries, dogwood, serviceberry, hearts-a-busting, and red buckeye. If you don’t have room to plant one in your yard you can visit Maclay Gardens in spring and marvel at their beauty.

Your Yard Can Be Habitat for Bluebirds and Other Cavity Nesting Birds

There are over 20 resident Florida birds that nest in cavities in trees or branches. These include Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Great-crested Flycatcher, Carolina Wren, and woodpeckers among others. Woodpeckers are considered primary cavity nesters because they excavate their own cavities, while the others are secondary cavity nesters who rely on naturally occurring holes or ones chiseled by woodpeckers.

Snags, or standing dead trees, are crucial for woodpeckers as they serve as nesting sites, provide a food source through insect-rich wood, offer roosting spots, and contribute to overall ecosystem health by supporting biodiversity. Photo by SunnyS, Adobe Stock.

Most woodpeckers need snags (dead trees) and dead limbs for excavation, and these are often in short supply in neighborhoods. We can make up for this scarcity by installing and maintaining nest boxes for bluebirds and other cavity nesters.

If you must have a tree cut down, ask the arborist to cut the trunk at approximately 12 feet. The snag will slowly decay and, in the meantime, feed and house woodpeckers and other cavity nesters.

Create Habitat

Nest boxes are important but to produce healthy populations of birds, creating habitat in our yards is of utmost importance. What you plant in your yard and how you maintain it does matter! Diversify your yard by planting native trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers which provide sustenance and habitat for native insects that will then be eaten by birds and fed to their young. Connect the trees and shrubs together in beds, allowing the leaves to carpet the ground. Leaf litter is important habitat that supports the food web in your yard. Also, avoid pesticide use.

You do not need to provide bird food for bluebirds as they are excellent hunters of insects, which are highly nutritious. However, if you want to provide them with an occasional treat, they do love mealworms. Because purchased mealworms do not provide complete nutrition (they are lacking in calcium), they should be used as a supplemental food source, offered on a limited basis – a treat for the birds.

Adult bluebirds also eat fruit, so encourage pokeweed, beautyberry, and elderberry to grow in your beds. Plant fruiting species such as black cherry and holly trees. At the feeder, bluebirds will also enjoy sunflower chips and suet cakes as occasional treats. Nestlings, however, are always fed insects.

Bluebirds prefer an open habitat, so the author installed this nest box in her pollinator garden of wildflowers and native grasses. Photo by Donna Legare.

Nest Boxes

When buying or building a nest box, make sure it is designed properly with the correctly sized entrance hole. For instance, bluebird houses should have a hole that is 1 ½ inches in diameter. The same house can serve well for birds that require a slightly smaller hole. I have had titmice, chickadees, and nuthatches use our bluebird house. Interestingly, bluebird nests are almost always constructed of pine needles or grasses or a combination of the two. Chickadees use a lot of green moss in their nest and then line it with soft cottony material. It is just as much fun to watch birds collecting nesting materials as it is to watch the constant visits by parents bearing insects, and I always feel lucky if I am at home when the fledglings leave the box.

A good bird house has ventilation holes or space under the roof overhang, has drainage holes, has the roof extending over the walls for maximum protection from rain and sun, does not have a perch that a predator could use for support and is protected by a snake/raccoon predator guard. These are commercially available, or you can make your own using six-inch PVC piping or stove pipe below the house.

Nest boxes should be cleaned after each use. Remove the old nest. I carry a bucket with soapy water and a rag so that I can wipe the inside thoroughly and then rinse well with clean water. Most nests are clean because parents remove fecal sacs. Watch as they fly in with an insect and leave with a white sac. This keeps the nest clean, so it is less likely to attract predators and decreases the chance for disease. Fledglings often defecate while leaving the nest so there is usually a need for cleaning.

Old Nests May Become Bumblebee Habitat

Place old nests on the ground tucked up under a tree or shrub. It may be used by an overwintering bumblebee. Once I forgot to clean a gourd which held a flycatcher nest. I laid it on the ground at the base of a parsley hawthorn tree. Next spring, I lifted it, heard a buzzing sound, and immediately placed it back on the ground. A bumblebee flew out. She had overwintered in the old nest. Isn’t nature fascinating!

A Great-crested Flycatcher feeding a nestling. Photo by Danita Delimont, Adobe Stock.

Great-crested Flycatchers

These flycatchers migrate to our area in springtime and are quite common; listen for their distinctive “zweep, zweep” call. As their name would indicate, they are insect eaters. They are also cavity nesters and will accept a gourd or wooden house. They usually place a snakeskin in the nest if they can find one. If not, they will include a piece of clear plastic litter. I have seen flycatchers nest in abandoned newspaper boxes and even in a clothespin bag hanging on a clothesline.

Joyful Observations

There is no doubt that watching bluebirds and chickadees nesting in our yards brings us joy. I have been installing nest boxes and teaching about cavity nesting birds for 50 years, beginning as a volunteer with Alachua Audubon Society while in forestry/wildlife school in Gainesville. This summer we observed something we have never seen before, though we have included this behavior in our classes.

Bluebirds nested successfully in our front yard nest box early in the season and then a second time in June. When we returned from a late July vacation, we noticed that bluebirds were once again using the box and this time there were four birds tending the young – a mature male, a mature female, and two juveniles. One time a juvenile carried a pokeweed berry to the nestlings, which the parents would never do. Later a juvenile was clinging to the entrance hole with nothing in its beak. The mature male flew up with an insect in his beak, passed it to the juvenile who then, rather than eating it, fed it to one of the nestlings. These youngsters are learning parenting skills. It was a privilege to watch.

For more information on nest box dimensions and creating habitat in your yard, pick up the free booklet Planting a Refuge for Wildlife by FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) at their office or at Native Nurseries.

Birds Up Close

A cold Sunday morning, fire in the fireplace, relaxing on the sofa with a cup of hot coffee, a pair of binoculars by my side, I am enjoying the parade of songbirds visiting our feeders. Life is good. It was a productive birding morning. My wife and I totaled 17 species between 10 a.m. and noon.

The author’s squirrel-proof feeder set up for winter feeding with white millet on the lower level for White-throated Sparrows and a variety of other seeds in the tube and on the top tray. Note the simple wire suet cage attached to the pole. Photo by Jody Walthall.

It is fascinating to observe the different food preferences, feeding behaviors, and social interactions between the species. Our primary feeder is an easy-to-clean tube feeder on a pole with a squirrel/raccoon baffle below it. We feed a blend of black oil sunflower, hulled sunflower (sometimes called hearts or chips), and safflower seed in the tube feeder. Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Downy Woodpeckers visit regularly.

On the tray below the tube feeder, we put out small handfuls of peanut halves and hulled sunflower along with crumbled suet cakes. The peanut halves go quickly. They are eaten by Brown Thrashers, Blue Jays, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, and Summer Tanagers. Usually, these birds grab a peanut half and fly off to eat it elsewhere. Blue Jays may stuff down four or more halves in one sitting; they are known stock pilers.

Chipping Sparrows, a common Tallahassee winter migrant, prefer white proso millet. Normally we scatter this seed on a flat stone platform feeder, six inches off the ground. Other ground feeding birds like the Rufous-sided Towhee and Mourning Dove also prefer white millet. That Sunday morning one Slate-colored Junco joined the Chipping Sparrows feeding on white millet.

A Carolina Wren fills the air with its vibrant chirps. Photo by Stephen Gensits.

The problem with feeding on an open rock is that squirrels can easily access the seed. Because we have had problems with squirrels in the attic, we try not to deliberately feed them. Instead, we have added a platform feeder with an easy-to-clean screen floor below the tube feeder tray, but above the squirrel/raccoon baffle. We scatter white proso millet all winter on this tray to the delight of many Chipping Sparrows. After the sparrows leave, we put that feeder away until the following winter. The squirrels can still enjoy anything that drops to the ground.

The suet cakes were eaten by seven species that morning: Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Gray Catbird, Carolina Wren, Summer Tanager, and Baltimore Oriole. The Orioles, about 10 of them, also went to a special feeder that dispensed an orange slice along with grape jelly. We do not put this feeder out until we see Orioles at the suet feeder. Sometimes we attach a wire mesh suet cake cage to the pole between the baffle and the tube feeder. This is another good way to dispense suet.

Goldfinch have not visited our yard yet this year, but their food preferences are black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, and Nyjer seed. The winter plumage of Goldfinch is rather drab, a “dirty” yellow/green with distinctive black and white wings. In Tallahassee, the males will sport brilliant yellow feathers around the first of April and leave Tallahassee by mid-April going to their northern nesting areas, Atlanta to Canada. When purchasing Nyjer seed towards the end of the Goldfinch season, buy smaller quantities. Any leftover seed will not keep until their arrival the following winter.

Chipping Sparrows eating white proso millet. Photo by Sandy Beck.

To lessen your carbon footprint, rather than feeding Goldfinch Nyjer shipped from Africa or India, use American-grown black oil sunflower or sunflower hearts. This hulled seed is also favored by many birds that cannot crack open a sunflower seed such as Bluebirds, Pine Warblers, and Wrens.

Also, in relation to your carbon footprint, if you like to give your birds a special treat of mealworms, consider their source. Read the label. Most dehydrated mealworms are shipped from China. One Chinese insect farm ships 200,000 tons of dehydrated mealworms worldwide a year. They also ship 50 tons a month of live mealworms. Purchase mealworms raised in the United States for a more carbon-friendly source. They are easily raised at home as well.

I recommend feeding mealworms on a limited basis, as a special treat, not as a constant food source. Mealworms do not provide complete nutrition for insect-eating birds, as most are lacking in calcium.

Offer suet this winter to attract birds like this colorful Baltimore Oriole. Photo by Sandy Beck.

A flock of Robins also came by that Sunday morning, but they are not seed eaters and seldom visit feeders. They gorged on holly berries and took advantage of the bird bath. A bird bath with plentiful cover nearby for hiding and staging is needed by every species. Refresh water every three days to prevent mosquitoes and disease.

Some folks use multiple feeders and spend considerable money on bird food. I like to keep it simple. I may use the four feeders mentioned, but when the winter migrants leave in spring, I reduce it to one feeder for the summer and fall. Only put out as many feeders as you can keep clean. They should be washed with hot soapy water and rinsed with a mild bleach or vinegar solution and then rinsed again with fresh water. Allow them to dry before refilling.

Feeding our feathered friends is an enjoyable hobby. For me, it is uplifting and educational. Keep in mind that the birds do not need the seed. You shouldn’t feel obligated to feed them. They do very well on their own in nature if good habitat is provided. And that is a topic for another day!