Illustration
Florida Flame Azalea
Rhododendron austrinum
Also called florida azalea and orange azalea
Also comes in yellow and red.
Florida Flame Azalea blooms from March through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Florida Flame Azalea
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 6–9. Expect it to reach about 9 ft tall and 6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 5 years (a house reading).
Is Florida Flame Azalea toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by NC State Extension and Pet Poison Helpline.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Florida Flame Azalea
Plant Florida Flame Azalea in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 7, the middle of its hardy zones 6 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from March to May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 7, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 7 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Florida Flame Azalea get?
9 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult6 ftwideSee Florida Flame Azalea in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Florida Flame Azalea
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Florida Flame Azalea about 6 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Florida Flame Azalea to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Florida Flame Azalea's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 7 published sources on November 5, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- fnps.orgFlorida Native Plant Societyheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Mt. Cuba Centerheight, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- woodlanders.netWoodlandersheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water and bloom months and color
- University of Florida IFASGardening Solutionsheight, water and bloom months and color
- azaleas.orgAzalea Society of Americabloom months and color and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Where it grows wild
Native to 4 states
United States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi
Recorded growing wild in 39 counties.
Range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 4.0, adapted) and USDA PLANTS. How the native range is credited.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.