The Azalea City

Azalea Festival and Spring

Oceansong by the Rippingtons

This Song reminds me of warmer days in coastal forests and beaches.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival 2012 occurs from April 11 to April 15 in Wilmington North Carolina. The Azalea Festival is an annual event that celebrates spring, history and the best of all azaleas and dogwoods. This five day event includes live concerts, azalea princesses and belles, garden tours, the Coles Bros Circus and the Azalea parade and street fair. Depending on the weather on the previous winter or the following spring, most of the azaleas and other trees bloom between March 15 to April 20, giving Wilmington and the rest of the east coast a breath taking spectacle. There are several kinds of rhododendrons in Wilmington, native azaleas such as pink or pinxter azaleas (the star of the azalea festival) and many exotics including Formosa Azalea, Asian azaleas and the wonderful Encore Azaleas that bloom several times a year. Both native and exotic azaleas line streets, fill gardens and parks. In addition to azaleas, look for native trees of the eastern forests and old fields like American Plums, White Dogwoods, Red Buds, Laurels, Crabapples and Wild Cherries. There are many non native plants that also bring fanfare to Wilmington during the spring and summer, some of my favorites are the Crape Myrtle, Saucer Magnolia and the Japanese Cherry. Trees that are blooming or leafing out are great places to look for warblers, vireos, wrens and many other birds. They are looking for bees, wasps, flies and aphids that feed and hide in the blossoms and leaves. This is truly my favorite time of year. I don't go the the Azalea Festival Parade or the the circus because of the crowds and traffic but I enjoy watching the parade on TV and occasionally going to the street fair.