[Haichuan Takes You to Guizhou: Bijie Chapter] The rhododendron flowers bloom from March to May; those who want to wander among these floral seas should hurry and plan their trips

Alpine azalea: an evergreen shrub or small tree of the rhododendron family that grows at high altitudes. It has a plant height of 1–3 meters, with thick branches; the leaves grow at the tips of the branches, which is a distinct feature that sets it apart from other azaleas. It blooms from April to May, with flowers that are mainly double or semi-double in structure, though there are also a few single-petaled flowers. The flowering period lasts around 1 month. The colors include white, pink, light red, peach, yellow, and more. The leathery leaves of alpine rhododendrons can tolerate extreme low temperatures.

The variety classification of azaleas can be divided into 5 categories: spring azalea strains, summer azalea strains, western azalea strains, eastern azalea strains, and alpine azalea strains.

Spring azalea: A variety that blooms from mid to late April to early May; it is named spring azalea because it flowers in spring. It is actually what we commonly call the \"erica\", which is quite cold-resistant; it prefers a cool climate, high air humidity, and acidic soil, but it cannot tolerate waterlogging. Flowers are clustered at the top; each bud contains three flowers. They have a wide, trumpet-shaped form, are usually single-petaled, and feature dark spots on their throats. The colors include bright red, dark red, purplish red, pure white, pink, and variegated patterns. It can often be seen in the green belts of Hangzhou and Nanjing. Due to its rapid reproductive growth, it is often used as a rootstock for grafted rhododendrons or other new varieties

Summer cuckoo: It first develops branches and leaves in spring, blooms in early May to June, and the flowering period can continue until July or August. Thus it is called the Summer Cuckoo. Its distinct features are: it is an evergreen shrub with an open growth pattern, a low plant height, a full crown; its leaves are relatively narrow, thick in texture, deep green in color, and covered with hair; after the first frost, the leaves turn dark red. There is a great variety of flower patterns. It can be grown in pots or planted in the ground in shaded conditions. Due to its strong branching ability and tolerance to pruning, it can be shaped into an umbrella shape; many azaleas in Japanese gardens are of this variety. Used as hedges and in plantings among flowers.

Eastern azalea: The Eastern azalea is a variant of the Japanese rock azalea along with its numerous hybrid descendants, introduced from Japan. The eastern azaleas also bloom in spring. Key features: The plant is low-growing and highly tolerant of pruning, with delicate flowers, branches, and leaves. The leaves are ovate, thin, sparsely hairy, bright green, and glossy. The corolla is funnel-shaped, and the flowers are very small. The patterns include red, purple, white, pinkish-white, light yellow, white-green, edged, and sprinkled designs. It blooms profusely; there are hardly any branches or leaves, only flowers. Its flowering period is a few days earlier than that of Rhododendron tomentosum. In July and August, the old leaves fall off, while flower buds form. Not tolerant to strong light; can be planted in the open field, with strong sprouting ability

Rhododendrons: They have the most diverse and vibrant flower colors. Most rhododendrons purchased in the market during the Spring Festival belong to this variety, and controlled cultivation techniques are used to advance their flowering period. In particular, the Belgian azalea is so called because it is a horticultural variety resulting from a cross between European and American species; it is therefore known as the Western azalea or simply Western azalea. However, the Cuckoo Thrush is the most difficult to raise, with poor adaptability and disease resistance; it is only suitable for pot cultivation. It needs appropriate shading in summer and warmth in winter. The leaf size lies between that of the medium-large-leaved Rhododendron in spring and that of the Eastern Rhododendron, with few hairs on the leaf surface.

Alpine azaleas are now often used for ornamental purposes in pots. They prefer cool, humid environments, and due to their large crowns, they require a lot of water as well. Collection of photos of Alpine azaleas (12 images). It has a well-developed root system and is a shallow-rooted tree species; the planting medium should be loose, rich in humus, with a good soil aggregate structure, and a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5. Planting it in clay pots is the best option. Alpine azaleas cannot tolerate high temperatures; their growth is poor when the temperature exceeds 35°C. However, they can withstand extreme cold down to -10°C, and they can survive the winter safely in regions in the Jiangnan area such as Shanghai, Wuxi, and Suzhou.

An evergreen shrub, 20–45 (–100) cm tall, with dense branching; the buds of the alpine rhododendron are short or elongated, growing either low to the ground or upright. Young branches are densely covered with rust-brown scales mixed with fine hairs, which gradually fall off. Leaf bud scales fall off early. The leaves are usually scattered at the top of the branches; they are leathery, oblong-elliptical to ovate-elliptical, or oblong-ovate in shape. They measure 4–15 (–25) millimeters in length and 2–5 (–9) millimeters in width. The tip is rounded with a short, pointed end, while the base is broadly wedge-shaped. The edges are slightly curled upward. The upper surface is light gray to dark gray-green in color, dull in texture, and covered densely with grayish-white scales that are somewhat adjacent to or overlapping each other. The lower surface is pale yellow-brown to reddish-brown in color, and it is also densely covered with scales of both pale yellow-brown and brownish-rust-colored hues, which are more or less equal in size and adjacent to or overlapping each other ； The petiole is 1.5–4 mm long and covered with scales. The inflorescence is terminal, umbellate, with (2) 3–5 (6) flowers ； Fall of flower bud scales ； The pedicel is 3–6 mm long, and grows to 12 mm in length during the fruiting period ； Calyx small, (0.5–)1–2 mm long, red or purple, 5 lobes, ovate-triangular or nearly round, covered with sparse or dense scales, margin lined with long hairs or occasionally with scales ； The corolla is broadly funnel-shaped, 6.5–(7)–13(–16) mm long, ranging in color from pale pinkish rose to purple, occasionally white; it is scaleless on the outside and hairless. The tube of the corolla is (1.5–)2–5(–6) mm long, with the inner part at the throat covered with soft hairs. There are 5 lobes, which are spread apart and longer than the corolla tube ； 5–10 stamens, roughly as long as the corolla, with the bases of the filaments covered in fluff ； The ovary is 5-loculed, 1.2 mm long, densely covered with scales; the style is 1.1–1.5 cm long, longer than the stamens, and smooth. The capsule is oblong-ovate, 3–6 mm long, and densely covered with scales. Flowering period: May–July; fruiting period: September–October