Photos from 2013-2015, 2017-2026 except for the Covid year, 2020 at Winterthur, Delaware and at Mt. Cuba Center, Hockenville, Delaware

Winterthur is the legacy of Henry Francis du Pont, 1880-1969, American

Mt. Cuba of the Lammot du Pont Copelands, American. 

Jenkins Arboretum, Wayne, PA is the legacy of H. Lawrence and Elisabeth Philippe Jenkins and their neighbours.

 

There are either 17 or 18 species of native azaleas whose separation from the Asian variety is thought to date to continental separation millions of years ago.

 

The majority are natives of a tract running from Maine to Florida with an epicenter in the southern Appalachian mountains between Virginia and Alabama.  Some are perfumed.  

 

Native azalea flowers are lighter on the bush and bushes lighter on the ground than hardy azaleas.  A tenacious fragility about them because they are small bushes  both deciduous and perennial with autumn leaves of a striking colour.

 

Mt. Cuba Center is a reserve of native flora in woodland and azalea bushes are scattered therein and grow tallish. The azalea grow in woodland at the Jenkins Arboretum also.

 

 

 

 

 

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Winterthur’s deciduous azalea are planted in the shadow of pine trees in a circle of the greatest beauty.

 

 

 

 

Researchers have documented orders for deciduous azaleas as early as 1907.  Henry Francis du Pont’s interest in these azaleas extended into financing research in the 1950s at which time he added to the the native azalea he grew. 

 

 

 

 Separated from hardy azalea, they are planted with Spanish bluebell under the shadow of pine trees.

 

 

At one entrance to the circle is a large blue spruce.

 

 

 

 

 

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Spanish bluebells are planted among the azaleas