Colorful flowering shrubs with clusters of pink, red, purple, or white flowers, popular in gardens.
From Greek 'azaleos' meaning 'dry,' referring to the plant's preference for dry soil conditions. The genus was formally named by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century based on ancient Greek botanical terminology.
Azaleas are weird botanically—they're technically rhododendrons, but gardeners treat them separately because they bloom earlier and handle drier conditions. The ancient Greek name 'azalea' stuck even though modern taxonomy would classify them differently.
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