Word of the Day: April 25, 2009 ~ azalea

azalea (uh-zeyl-yuh) - noun

Azaleas are "any of various shrubs of the genus Rhododendron having showy, variously colored flowers."

First used in the written form around 1750–1760. The Greek language contributed the name for this shrubby plant, with white, yellow, or crimson-colored blooms. Azaleā means "dry" in Greek, and it was thought a proper epithet because these flowers flourish in dry and sandy soil.

Photo by Aussiegall