On Saturday, April 9, the Donald E. Davis Arboretum on Auburn’s campus hosted an azalea sale, featuring the Auburn Azalea series, making it possible to plant native Auburn flowers anywhere.
Patrick Thompson, Donald E. Davis Arboretum specialist, said the sale features special cultivators such as Samford Sorbet, Tiger, Aubie, War Eagle and Plainsman.
“The Auburn Azaleas series is prominently displayed here at the Davis Arboretum, but we also have all of the native species and plants that we hope one day will be in the Auburn Azalea series,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the colorful flowers are resilient and can withstand intense heat once they’ve been planted and watered properly.
“Anytime you come out, there’s going to be something in flower, but if you come during the growing season, you’ll see azaleas,” Thompson said. “They’ve been there for years and years and years, and it’s often that people don’t realize that they’re these beautiful orange bushes flowering around them until they leave Auburn’s campus.”
The Auburn Azalea series is a native azalea species planted throughout Auburn’s campus in places such as Samford Lawn, the President’s Mansion and the arboretum, according to Thompson.
“By hybridizing those late blooming orange species with our earlier ones, we’ve managed to fill the gap where you can bring orange flowering shrubs into your landscape throughout the year,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the azaleas are sold in the fall and spring arboretum sales and online in between these sales.
“It’s a unique thing, so part of our effort to get that Auburn tradition out into the public’s reach, so people can plant a little bit of Auburn wherever they go across the country,” Thompson said.
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