mountain azalea, Rhododendron canescens

Anytime one goes south, you think about azaleas? I had hopes this April, but wondered if I was early. I had seen some out of season before, but that was Florida, where things get confused anyway. Then I got lucky in Mississippi. This mountain azalea (that's right, no mountains) was actually just about finished. There near the shore of a pond, near an old plantation, I wonder if it had a human assist. This is a species that is cultivated. Mountain ot piedmont azalea grows in AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, PA, SC, TN, and TX. Adams Co MS, 4/18/22. Heath family, Ericaceae.