Size
Ultimate height
4–8 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink White | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green Red | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Potentially harmful
- Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises) Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
- Genus
Rhododendron can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple leaves, sometimes with a dense colourful indumentum of hairs on the lower side, and funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular flowers that may be solitary or in short racemes
- Name status
Correct
- Horticultural Group
- Azaleas can be deciduous or evergreen, with mostly small, frequently fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers in spring or early summer; deciduous azaleas often have good autumn colour
- Plant range
- SE USA
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in light, dappled shade in a site sheltered from cold, drying winds and late frosts, in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soil, preferably between pH4.5 and pH5.5. See rhododendron cultivation for further information
Propagation
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Low Maintenance
- Flower borders and beds
- Banks and slopes
Pruning
Pests
May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron whiteflies, rhododendron leafhopper, lacebugs, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids
Diseases
May be susceptible to powdery mildews, rhododendron bud blast, petal blight, honey fungus, silver leaf, Phytophthora root and shoot rots. See Rhododendron diseases
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.