From the end of April until the beginning of June, more than 3,000 varieties of some 600 rhododendron and azalea species transform the 46 hectares (almost 114 acres) of the Rhododendron Park, Deliusweg 40, Bremen, Germany, into somewhat of a flora heaven.

The display greenhouses in the park are filled with less hardy varieties of the woody shrubs that can already be in full bloom now. They hale from the Himalayas, Borneo and Japan. Most of the greenhouse flowers, however, bloom indoors in March and April. The months of May and June are best for the outdoor plants.

The Azalea Park includes wild species from North America plus historic cultivars from the Czech Republic, Germany and the United States, all arrayed under old beech and oak trees. The Rhododendron Forest was first planted in 1936.

(Photo courtesy of Bremen Tourism)