ARHS February 2024 Presentation: Native Azaleas, Tara Spears, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens

Native Azaleas, Tara Spears, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens

Tara Spears is the Curatorial Assistant at Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens and works closely with their Nationally Accredited Rhododendron Collections. She is also a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania where she studies Environmental Science, and is conducting research with Rhododendron smokianum, a newly described species of Rhododendron in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She presented at the American Rhododendron Society and Azalea Society of America National Convention in 2023, is co-organizer of the Early-Career Rhododendron Research Conference in 2024, and is co-organizing the Azalea Society of America National Convention in 2025.

North America is home to many native Rhododendron sect. Pentanthera species, commonly referred to as native azaleas. They are primarily found in the eastern United States, but can range from Canada to California, too. This presentation explores the different species, their ranges, and popular selections.

Join us at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History or by Zoom.  The Zoom link will be sent out by email.  For further information, contact Jim Sharpe at Atlanticrhodo@gmail.com