Formosa Lavender is a classic Southern Indica azalea, the big spring-blooming kind you see anchoring older Birmingham landscapes. It opens large lavender-purple flowers in a heavy spring flush over evergreen foliage, and matures into a substantial shrub in the six-to-eight-foot range.

Give it part shade, or morning sun with afternoon relief, in acidic, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Mulch the shallow roots, water deeply in dry stretches, and prune only right after bloom. It needs little else once established and makes a fine screen or backdrop.