Family: heaths (Ericaceae)
Bloom time: June–August
Size: 20–100 cm
Habitat: heaths, rocky places
Erect shoots of the hairy azalea (Rhododendron hirsutum) are clad with evergreen leaves. Its 1.5 to 4 cm long broad-elliptic leathery leaves are green on both sides. The upper surface of the leaves is glossy, the lower side is adorned with sparse green glandular scales. The leaf margin is serrate – bearing 1 to 3 mm long hairs. Crimson-red flowers form a dense inflorescence at the tips of the shoots. Five-petaled bell-shaped flowers are about 1.5 cm long.
The hairy azalea grows in higher elevations on calcareous substrates. It is most common in the Alpine and subalpine regions of Slovenia and on high karst plateaus in the Dinaric region.
