Global warming? Rapid azalea peak ‘unprecedented’ at Callaway Gardens

Callaway Gardens in nearby Pine Mountain is famous for many things — lush forest, meandering trails, a butterfly center, large lakes and ponds, and even a man-made beach.

But the Georgia attraction north of Columbus is perhaps best known for its annual burst of colorful azaleas that occurs every year, usually starting in mid- to late March and lasting deep into April. It’s a blooming nature fest of sorts that draws people who stroll amid the beauty, quite often taking pictures with their cameras and smartphones.

This year, however, amid an unusually warm and sometimes balmy winter, what the gardens calls its “peak” azalea season has already arrived at the popular Overlook garden area. That’s nearly a month before spring officially arrives and is a development that no one apparently has ever witnessed. It compares to 2014, when Callaway Gardens put out a press release on April 9 letting the public know peak season was occurring.

“In my 51 years at Callaway Gardens, this is the earliest in the year that I’ve ever seen azaleas in bloom,” Patricia Collins, Callaway’s director of gardens, said in an email alert Tuesday, trying to get the word out that if anyone wants to enjoy the azaleas in their prime this year, they might want to hurry.

“Traditionally, the later Easter occurs the later the azaleas bloom,” Collins said. “That is not the case this year. This is unprecedented. It is amazing and something that we’ve never seen before. We just want to make sure that everyone is aware so they don’t miss seeing them.”

Photos on the gardens’ website taken Monday showed the Overlook area already lush with red, white and various shades of pink azaleas, a level that should be a few weeks away. The resort said the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl, which surrounds an inlet from a lake, is starting to bloom but is still a bit away from peaking. That area typically blooms later than the Overlook azaleas.

Callaway Gardens was founded in 1952 by the late Cason J. and Virginia Hand Callaway.

For more information about Callaway Gardens, visit www.callawaygardens.com or check out its Facebook page.

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Global warming? Rapid azalea peak ‘unprecedented’ at Callaway Gardens."