Rare azalea in full bloom, Charleston, SC, 1939

About this postcard

A single large azalea shrub, densely covered in pink-red blossoms, fills most of the view. A small green wooden gate and dark foliage sit beneath the mass of flowers, with slender tree trunks, pale spring growth, and a clipped lawn and path edge in the foreground. The printed caption treats the plant as a show specimen, the kind of spring display that drew visitors to Southern gardens. The sender writes of a pleasant trip through Charleston and Florida and plans to see magnolias and azaleas, placing the bloom in the season of a spring visit. Charleston's mild coastal climate brings azaleas into flower early, and northern visitors often timed spring trips to catch the displays.