SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhododendron 'Elsie Lee'

COMMON NAME: Elsie Lee Lavender Azalea

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

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 5-8

EXPOSURE: Part Sun.

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

HABIT (FORM): Bushy, Dense, Mounding, Rounded

FOLIAGE: Evergreen; Bright Green

FLOWERS: Pinkish Lavender, Semi-Double, Ruffled Petals, 2.5" in size, Mid to Late Spring Bloom

PLANT ORIGIN: Hybrid (Desiree x Rosebud)

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