The Sommerville Collection

Earl Sommerville spent much of his adult life collecting and hybridizing native azaleas. His garden, at the foot of Little Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia, holds one of the largest collections of native azalea selections and cultivars in the country.

Many carry Rhododendron flammeum and austrinum in their background, which makes them excellent for heat and humidity. Some are pure species, some named hybrids, and most are natural hybrids and their seedlings — Georgia has thirteen native species, many growing in the same areas and blooming at the same time, which produced a wealth of natural crosses. Earl was especially interested in breeding azaleas with ball-truss blooms.