roseshell azalea
Rhododendron prinophyllum
USDA zones3 to 8
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size4 to 8 feet tall4 to 8 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Pink
- Foliage color
- Gold/yellow, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Roseshell azalea (Rhododendron prinophyllum) is a shrub for borders, specimens, hedges, and woodland gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Fragrant light pink flowers open in large clusters before or with the leaves, and they draw butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Rabbits rarely make it their first choice. The blue-green leaves turn purplish in fall.
Pairs well with Bellwort, Sensitive fern, and Dutchman's breeches.
Native range
Central and eastern United States.