Your parents' fragrant, native azalea was very possibly Rhododendron periclymenoides (synonym R. nudiflorum), or pinxterbloom azalea. It is a deciduous native to New York, happy to grow in shaded woodland, fragrant and has abundant flowers, either pink or white, from April to May.

There are numerous nurseries that specialize in native plants, though some stock other plants as well. Some native plant nurseries serving central New York include The Plantsmen Nursery in Groton, NY (75% native plants) and Edge of the Woods Native Plants Nursery in Orefield, PA (100% native).

If you would like to further search for azalea species that are native to New York, you should look at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center website and search under Rhododendron and then narrow your search to the sSate of New York. If you can determine what azalea you'd like to purchase, you can then search for it online and select a NY nursery, if possible. There is such a proliferation of azalea cultivars available that it can be difficult to locate the specific plant you are looking for but we commend your interest in keeping your search native and the plant's suitability for your garden should reward the search.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service