A species is a population that interbreeds and is reproductively isolated from other populations.
Hybrids are crosses between other species or hybrids.
Hybrids will not grow true from seed and may be faithfully reproduced only from cuttings , which are clones of the mother plant. Azaleas have been hybridized for hundreds of years, and around 10,000 different names have been registered or named, although far fewer are in the trade. Azaleas provide a wide variety of plant habits, sizes, colors and bloom times to meet almost every landscaping need or personal taste. Evergreen azaleas, native primarily to Japan, have flower colors including white and various shades of purple, pink, red and reddish orange, but not yellow. Color patterns include single colors and bicolors as well as sectors, stripes and flecks, sometimes on the same plant.