SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhododendron 'Delaware Valley White'

COMMON NAME: Delaware Valley White Azalea

GARDEN SIZE: 3-4 feet tall x 3-4 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 5 to 8

EXPOSURE: Part Sun.

WATER & SOIL: Keep soil moist but well-drained (no wet feet); prefers humus-rich, acidic soil. Avoid heavy clay.

HABIT (FORM): Broadleaf evergreen shrub with a compact, rounded form

FOLIAGE: Evergreen; obovate to oblong green leaves (1.25 inches) that may turn yellow in winter

FLOWERS: White, tubular, funnel-shaped blooms (2.5 inches) with 10 stamens; showy clusters bloom in April-May

PLANT ORIGIN: Hybrid with unknown parentage; possibly a Glenn Dale hybrid

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a host for local insects and wildlife. May provide food for insects in the spring.

FERTILIZING: Apply a fertilizer for acid-loving plants in the early spring.

PRUNING: Remove spent flower clusters immediately after the blooms finish. Pruning is not usually needed or recommended, but may be done right after blooming is finished in late spring or early summer.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

USES: Hedge, Foundation planting, Specimen