Azalea Walk
The Azalea Walk is truly a garden for the future. Although thousands of Trillium catesbaei, Bellworts and Clintonia that occur here naturally provide a delightful early spring walk, a surprise is lurking among the carpet of ferns that take over in late May. Hundreds of Gregory Bald hybrids have been planted in a color sequence along this naturalistic path.
Gregory Bald hybrid azaleas are found on a high grassy bald in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Naturally crossed by bumble bees over the eons, this natural swarm of hybrids produce every color in the rainbow. From the predominantly orange bakeri influenced plants, to the yellows and reds, light and dark pinks, yellow with pink and peach blotches and even white with red center-striped flowers — the range of hues is as endless as the time it has taken to produce them. The native plants on Gregory Bald that provide the basic germ plasm for the natural crosses are Rhododenron viscosum, R. aborescens and R. bakeri (cumberlandense). Rhododendron calendulaceum is also present on Gregory Bald but is not considered a part of the mix.
If the only feature of the Azalea Walk was the fern and Flame Azalea and blueberries along the path, it would still remain one of the most peaceful and pleasant walks at the Reserve. As time goes on, however, when the hundreds of Gregory Bald azaleas come to maturity, the Azalea Walk will provide not only a restful experience but a colorful and exciting journey as well.
