Seventeen species of azalea are native to North American and many are native to North Carolina. Sixteen are native to the east and one on the west coast. Click here for a map. Those that are native to the southern states can can be grown in the piedmont of North Carolina and the northern species do well in the mountains of North Carolina. R. vaseyi is native to only the mountains of North Carolina and is a stunner with pink blooms.
Azaleas come in three color groups of pink, red/orange, and white. Here is a link to the color groups. Native azaleas hybridize readily and many shades of color can be found in our the mountains. Gregory Bald in the Smokey mountains is a great place to see where species have mixed, but it s tough hike. Here is a link to see our native azaleas, some easily accessible.
https://www.carolinanativenursery.com/azalea-cheat-sheet/Here is a growing guide from Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville.