pink-shell azalea
Rhododendron vaseyi
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones5 to 7
SunHandles full sun or partial sun or full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size10 to 15 feet tall8 to 10 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, autumn
- Bloom color
- Red
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Pink-shell azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi) is a shrub for borders, woodland gardens, and specimen planting. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. The flowers open before the new leaves appear, and the petals look separate because the flowers have no tube. Rabbits tend to pass it by. The green leaves turn red in fall, so keep the soil from drying out.
Pairs well with Mountain laurel, Redvein enkianthus, and Columbine.
Native range
MA and NC.