Georgia calls me about once a week in the spring to tell me to come over! And bring my camera! She has a new something blooming! Sometimes I do. Sometimes I forget or get too busy. Then she is very disappointed in me. Only she doesn’t say that. She just calls the next week with the next bloom. In between times, she calls me for no reason at all. Or because somebody she knows is in the hospital. I am up on all the medical events of everyone she knows. I always pretend I know who she’s talking about because she assumes I know everyone she knows even though I usually have no idea what she’s talking about.
But if you need a health update about anyone in town, just let me know. I’m plugged in.
Anyway! This is Georgia’s favorite flowering boosh.
The first time she said boosh to me, I wouldn’t have known what she was talking about except that she was pointing to a bush. Georgia grew up on a farm outside Glenville, West Virginia. They must have a different dialect there. I just love it when she talks about booshes.
This orange boosh is at its peak, covered up with blooms.
Only we don’t know what it is.
It looks like a cross between an orange honeysuckle and an orange azalea. It grows wild around here.
Georgia transplanted it from the wild to the side of her front porch a number of years ago. It can be found in shady woods. (See it there in the center of the photo below?)
This one’s growing on the hillside across from our farm.
I used to know the name of it because Georgia told it to me at one point.
But now we can’t remember. Me and Georgia, we have faulty faculties.
I asked my cousin, Mark, and his wife, Sheryl, and 52, but nobody knew what to call it. Then I ran out of people to ask who could see the boosh in person. I told Georgia that I would ask the internet.
Name that boosh!
SkippyMom says:
It is a Austrinum. It’s official title is Don’s Variegated Austrinum.
I don’t know if they are one in the same but a flaming azaela bush looks incredibly similar.
On May 17, 2010 at 1:52 am
Smiledarlin says:
It looks like the yellow. azalea- one of my neighbors has… it is beautiful
On May 17, 2010 at 2:06 am
Host says:
I can’t say what its name is but it sure is BEAUTIFUL!!! :purpleflower:
On May 17, 2010 at 4:12 am
kathy says:
😀 I was going to say a native rhododendrum (sp?). They look very much like some I’ve seen in Washington state and in Vancouver. Whatever it is, wow. That’s really beautiful.
On May 17, 2010 at 5:05 am
carla says:
Tell Georgia its my favorite to. How Pretty!!
On May 17, 2010 at 5:05 am
shirley wilson says:
We call them “booshes” too. 😉 Wish I had one.
On May 17, 2010 at 5:33 am
CindyP says:
I don’t know the name, but I like Orange Boosh just fine! It’s beautiful! I can never remember the names of bushes and flowers, I take on the faulty faculties quite an awful lot when it comes to those names…..
On May 17, 2010 at 5:36 am
PossumManor says:
Here is a link: https://www.tjhsst.edu/~dhyatt/ars/orangechoice.htm
It is a Native Azalea. I am told they die if they are transplanted. We have them in our woods too.
On May 17, 2010 at 5:56 am
Nancy in Iowa says:
The Orange Boosh is gorgeous, and a fine name for it! I was thinking of a cross between orange honeysuckle and an orange hibiscus – I grew up with several colors of hibiscus in Fla, although I don’t remember orange! Glad your first commenter recognized it.
On May 17, 2010 at 6:01 am
wvhomecanner says:
I’ve always called it wild azalea. We had one beside the old cabin we use to have in Barbour County. Beautiful and I have only seen them in the wild – my understanding is that they do not transplant easily. As soon as I read ‘Orange Boosh’ I knew what I was going to see 🙂
Dede
On May 17, 2010 at 6:40 am
Leah says:
You can find the answer to just about any question on here.You could do a post on Georgia’a flowers once a wk and give us an update on her. :happyflower: She has a fan club you know. :wave:
On May 17, 2010 at 6:40 am
Lori Skoog says:
It is worth looking at! A very beautiful boosh. Is it Mountain Laurel?
On May 17, 2010 at 6:53 am
Carol Langille says:
Good thing there are some smart people who ready your blog!
I was thinking it was the rare Georgius Orangius Booshius….and I bet it is, too!
Beautiful to see something like this first thing in the morning…thank you, Suzanne.
Tell Georgia hello!
On May 17, 2010 at 7:11 am
Christine says:
I don’t know what kind of boosh it is, but I just have to say I love Georgia. She so reminds me of my Aunt Martha. 🙂
On May 17, 2010 at 7:19 am
LindDis says:
The flowers look like a rhododendron to me, but I’ve never seen one that is orange. It’s a beautiful boosh though!
Linda
On May 17, 2010 at 7:47 am
Donna Mc says:
We call that ‘Flame Azalea. It’s a wild azalea we see around here (in Georgia), too. I always think it’s the color of Mac & Cheese! hahaha!
On May 17, 2010 at 7:48 am
Melinda says:
Possum and Donna are correct I think. We have that growing here around the creek banks and other shady areas in the forest edge. Game Warden told me years ago it was a native azalea. They are beautiful aren’t they?
On May 17, 2010 at 8:03 am
Debnfla3 says:
I have the orange, yellow and white ones…Mama just called them a Honeysuckle Boosh. Makes perfect sense to me since mine smell just like a honsuckle vine.
On May 17, 2010 at 8:05 am
MMHONEY says:
Call it an azalia if you want to … From my “neck of the woods” (in Roane Co.) it is a Honeysuckle.
On May 17, 2010 at 8:05 am
Yankee Gal says:
No idea…and so glad others knew what it was! No such pretty orange “booshes” way up here in the North. And I love Georgia’s orange tabby cat…who matches the “boosh”!
On May 17, 2010 at 8:07 am
Pete says:
We have those as well, and they have always been called “honeysuckle booshes” in this neighborhood. Never bought that as an accurate description of their actual name, but they are gorgeous. Their leaves are not quite like azeleas either.
The grandmother who originally lived here panted our three on the hillside behind the house. They bloom from right to left, extending the enjoyment.
On May 17, 2010 at 8:09 am
Mrs. B says:
It is a wild azalea – comes in a ton of colors – sometimes flowers come out before it leafs out – or the other way around. The grown in natural areas in North Central Alabama and all up the Blue Ridge, etc.
On May 17, 2010 at 8:38 am
Linda says:
My memory is just the same. But it is gorgeous!
Have a great week!
On May 17, 2010 at 8:51 am
Julie says:
I can see why it’s her favorite! It’s beautiful!
On May 17, 2010 at 8:59 am
Eunice Moore says:
That is one wonderful boosh! It is the same color as some of our more incredible sunrises! Georgia must have “green hands” in instead of just a thumb if she was able to transplant it and have it live to bloom every year. Hello to Georgia (and her kitty). 🙂
On May 17, 2010 at 9:04 am
KentuckyFarmGirl says:
I have to agree with the wild azalea votes! The boosh is beautiful!
On May 17, 2010 at 9:04 am
Amy Cook in WI says:
https://www.tjhsst.edu/~dhyatt/azaleas/calendulaceum.html
Here is a picture of the Rhododendron calendulaceum, also known as the Flame Azalea. I think Orange Boosh works, too!
On May 17, 2010 at 9:11 am
claudia w says:
I would just plain call it Beautiful Orange Boosh. Even though that isn’t what you asked for. It is beautiful!
On May 17, 2010 at 9:37 am
PJ says:
Looking at the leaves, I’m pretty sure it’s an azalea. Even the petals look like a lavender azalea I have. I have never seen one this color or in the wild. It’s gorgeous. It’s wonderful that Georgia transplanted it and can protect it and care for it. I don’t think it’s a rhododendron because the leaves on those are much larger and thicker textured. And yes, I say boosh also and I say crick not creek. But, hey, I was born in WV.
On May 17, 2010 at 9:43 am
Farm Girl says:
Rhododendrun?
On May 17, 2010 at 9:51 am
LauraP says:
The leaves and flower shapes are almost identical to the decidious azalea by the porch at my last house. They’re incredibly hardy, in my experience, much more so than the usual garden center azalea offerings.
On May 17, 2010 at 9:51 am
BettyJ Davis says:
Suzanne…….Beautiful picture. A little word to the wise…..Some country folk MAY take exception to people drawing attention to their WV accent. I lived in Roane County growing up and attended Walton High School.. Mother was a one room teacher. I truly enjoy your website. Glad I found you.
On May 17, 2010 at 9:59 am
tammy/psmflowerlady says:
I’m glad someone else mentioned crick. It’s raining cows–t and rocks to splash it with here in the Ohio Valley, so I was wondering how you “crick” is – overflowing? I think there are flash flood watches in most of WV, so be careful. Hope you have plenty of aluminum foil!
On May 17, 2010 at 10:03 am
Shirley T says:
I have one that looks just like that growing on the bank~at the edge of the woods~behind my house. I call it my MAY HONEYSUCKLE. By the end of May the air is full of the sweetest smell you can imagine.That aroma is why I think it is honesuckle. I love Georgia’s house!
On May 17, 2010 at 10:24 am
Nancy says:
I thought Azalea too…what do I know though…I’m from New England! As much as I love your house, I absolutely LOVE Georgia’s!! I wish I had a “Georgia” in my life!
On May 17, 2010 at 10:30 am
Thelibrarylady says:
Beautiful. My father-in-law (God Rest) was from Glenville. He said boosh too. Does Georgia also say she has to warsh the clothes. Ask her if she knew the Whiting family in Glenville.
On May 17, 2010 at 10:46 am
Patty Hager says:
Oh her bush is absolutely beautiful and my Grandma Kinty in Colfax,WV had one growing against the back of her house. She called it a wild azalia and come spring the flowers were absolutely radiant with color. But them my grandma had a green hand and could grow wild plants anywhere in her yard. By the way…I love Georgia’s house, too. It is simple and yet so quaint and that is what this girl is needing soon to move to. Patty
On May 17, 2010 at 11:05 am
Miss Becky says:
😆 😆 😆
On May 17, 2010 at 11:09 am
Mia says:
oh yes, BOOSh is exactly how my dad says it – and the nearest town to him is Glennville!! He lives on a mountain called Little Ellis – I bet Georgia knows it 🙂 How funny is it that I’ve found this blog? Very cool. I’ll be down to Glennville for a visit in a few weeks and to see the WV State Folk Festival. Maybe I’ll see ya there!
On May 17, 2010 at 11:10 am
logcabingirl says:
Flame azalea is the correct common name, my family also called the wild azaleas “honeysuckle bush” especially the pale pink pinxter flower. Flame azaleas are quite expensive to buy when you see them in the nurseries.
On May 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm
JeannieB says:
We have them in SC also, mostly orange and a delicate pink. Native azalea, aka honeysuckle azalea.
On May 17, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Stephanie says:
I just saw a plant like that at our arboretum here in Seattle. It was a Flame Azalea. It smells so good!
On May 17, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Barbee' says:
Oh, Suzanne, thank you for showing us all that beauty, everything: Georgia, kitty, house, and gorgeous flowering shrub! I know the shrub as: a native wild azalea called Flame Azalea, and affectionately called Wild Honeysuckle bush in some southern states areas, because of its sweet fragrance. It is not really a honeysuckle, it just smells much the same. Most people, but not everyone, know that all azaleas are Rhododendrons. That is their genus name, but the small leaved ones are commonly called azaleas. What a gift and blessing their beauty is to us. Many of the large Rhododendrons are deliciously fragrant, too, so this lovely, small leaved species is not the only fragrant one. My large Rhododendron by the back door is flowering right now, and its lavender colored blooms perfume the whole yard. I remember being almost overwhelmed by the fragrance of a yellow blooming large Rhody I met in Scotland.
Thank you PossumManor and Amy for the helpful links. I have saved them for future reference. I would love to get some starts of this to plant on a challenging, shady, steep bank in my yard.
On May 17, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Carmen C. says:
It’s a lovely boosh! I don’t know what it is, but we had one out front when we bought our house, we ended up cutting it down as ours had a funky smell to it!
On May 17, 2010 at 12:57 pm
paul says:
it is not a wild azalea it is a excalber azalea they sell, You can buy them in white w/red blooms and like the one you have in the picture….
On May 17, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Debbie Fowler says:
This is what I found on my second most favorie website http://www.floridata.com #992 Rhododendron austrinum
Common Names: Florida flame azalea, flame azalea, deciduous azalea
Family: Ericaceae (heath Family)
On May 17, 2010 at 6:32 pm
patrice says:
I don’t know what the name of the plant is, but I vote for naming it the Georgia Orange Boosh!
On May 17, 2010 at 7:44 pm
LisaAJB says:
I’m going to just call it pretty. I wanted to say thanks for this service that you provide. After a long day of working with special needs students this is exactly what I need to relax! Thanks! :hug:
On May 17, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Mim says:
We call this “boosh”- Wild Honeysuckle.
On May 17, 2010 at 8:20 pm
vtjane says:
When I was growing up in W. Va. (Raleigh Co.) we called them honeysuckles. They smelled so sweet. They were growing near all the creeks/brooks. I see something similar in Vermont, but the blossoms are not as big, same fragrance though.
On May 17, 2010 at 9:53 pm
tjmac says:
I have not a clue, but IF it would grow in Colorado, I would plant it! Besides being orange (you know, that football thing), it is spectacular!! If anyone want to sent me a start, I would give it a try!!
On May 17, 2010 at 9:56 pm
tjmac says:
Oh, please forgive me for not proof-reading that last post, let’s try again: “If anyone would like to send me a start, I would give it a try.”
On May 17, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Amber says:
Looks like the kind of flowers you see on a Hawaiian shirt. So pretty!
On May 17, 2010 at 10:15 pm
cranberry says:
Darn, don’t know the name of that particular boosh, it does look like an azalia/hibiscus type mix! But since I have faulty faculties too, i started a garden journal. Then I can go “oh yea, THAT’S what that is, or That’s when i planted that boosh! invaluable! Plus its fun to go through. I put in mine each year when the hummers come, if its a late spring, etc etc…
On May 17, 2010 at 10:49 pm
joanne says:
I didn’t read all the comments but I’m pretty sure it is a Rhododendron…the state flower of Washington. Beautiful…we have several in our yard of varying colors but no orange. It is exquisite.
On May 18, 2010 at 1:12 am
Ang. says:
Rhododendron calendulaceum commonly known as a Flame Azalea. Its absolutely stunning!
No, I am not a botanist. Its amazing what you can find on the internet, no?
On May 18, 2010 at 7:54 am
flutterby says:
I was told these wild orange bushes were flame azaleas.
On May 18, 2010 at 7:58 am
Jo says:
Ok, so now you may be MORE confused: I read azalea, honeysuckle, rhodo-whatever….I agree with the others: it’s a Beautiful Orange Boosh! :fairy:
On May 18, 2010 at 9:07 am
Runningtrails says:
Its gorgeoujs! It does look like an azailea flower. I’d love to have one of those, probably not hardy enough to grow though. 🙂
On May 18, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Bruce says:
I didn’t read all the comments but I’m pretty sure it is a Rhododendron…the state flower of Washington. Beautiful…we have several in our yard of varying colors but no orange. It is exquisite.
On May 19, 2010 at 5:22 am
Ken Gulledge says:
Looks like native azalea to me . We have these growing in the woods down here in Ga.
On July 29, 2010 at 11:35 am
Susan says:
Gorgeous shrub, I wonder if they would grow in Texas in the shade? Oh and that dialect sounds like my Dad’s, he is from Southern Virginia…we all had fun trying to “figger” what he meant…
Boosh=Bush, Warsh=Wash and Eggsit=Exit
On January 18, 2011 at 10:10 am
Marilyn says:
I’m pretty sure that bush is what we in Louisiana call a native azalea. They are not plentiful in this area but those we have are beautiful
On March 4, 2011 at 3:20 pm
hurshy43 says:
The flower looks like Hibiscus but I have never seen one with so many blooms on one boosh and I think hibiscus is tropical.
On March 27, 2012 at 3:54 pm