I love Fall, I truly do… the cool air and all the fall color, but sometimes I think I love Spring more. The rebirth as you watch the world wake up from winter….. and the colors! So many colors! Now, the truth of why I tend to like Fall over Spring is there is no Louisiana snow, better known as pollen, in the Fall. The allergies are real ya’ll.
But before my eyes become red and swollen and I spend a couple of months constantly sneezing and clearing my throat, the turn begins. Most likely we’ve seen our last freeze, we are entering the Lenten season and suddenly almost every yard has color. The azaleas are blooming!
An azalea is a flowering shrub that is actually seen in many areas of North America but they seem to be particularly hearty in the southern states. The azalea arrived in the Gulf states in late mid 1800s. Most you see today have been bred to thrive in the Southern heat.
I can get a little more technical. There are many varieties of azaleas in the south but it is said by the LSU ag center that Indian Azaleas are the most common. The average height of a mature plant is 6×6 feet but if unpruned it can reach 10 feet or more. You will also see dwarf size which are much smaller.
It seems you would be hard pressed to find a yard in our area without an azalea in Acadiana. The color is deep and rich and the bush is usually chock full of blooms… that’s “almost completely covered” for the non-southern folks.
The most popular color here seems to be dark pink. But you will also see light pink, white, salmon and the occasional red. I’ve even seen the occasional purple! The amazing thing to me is that even in those colors, there will be variations to the hue and intensity on just one bush. It is truly a sight to behold and a sure sign that Spring has arrived.
If you are interested check out azaleatrail.org where you can follow more than 20 miles of Lafayette streets to check out these gorgeous colors. There are several historic sites along the way. There are other locations throughout Acadiana that will have a good showing as well. All of which have interesting local flair to enjoy as you take in all the beauty.
The colors only really last a couple of weeks then you will start to see the blooms fall to the ground. A good wind or rain storm can often take off the rest.
If there is ever a lesson in living in the moment and enjoying the blooms and explosion of color while they last, azalea season is it.