Western Azalea

One of the glorious native shrubs that grows along the coasts of California and Oregon is the western azalea. It is really not an azalea, but rather a rhododendron, a deciduous one at that. When in bloom, the shrub is very prolific. Since it was late spring, our road trip coincided with its peak blossoming period. We didn’t plan to seek it out, but as we pulled into Prairie Creek State Park, we noticed a number of them just outside the visitors’ center. As we approached, we caught their characteristic heady perfume well before we got a closer look at the flowers. It was an unexpected treat.