what is on my azaleas?

[trpt13]

hi there, I've had my azalea's for 15 years and have never seen this before...there has been no change in the way I water or grow them...I'm thinking powdery mildew or lichen? Thanks!

[rainbowgardener]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78867213@N00/6911729150/

I'm not thinking powdery mildew, perhaps lichen.

Powdery mildew is usually on leaves and looks ... well.. powdery.

[applestar]

The photo's a bit blurry, but my first thought was lichen as well. They don't seem to affect the shrubs.

[Kisal]

I'm on my phone and can't enlarge the pic enough to see the stuff clearly. However, I have several older azaleas and rhodies, and they all have lichen. The lichen mine have is sort of flaky looking stuff. The guy at the rhodie and azalea nursery told me its common as the plants age, and recommended I not do anything about it.

My plants had it when I bought this house back in 1986, and they're still strong and healthy and bloom well every year.

[trpt13]

Thanks, I do hope it's just lichen, because all my plants have it! Thanks for taking a look!