SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rhododendron canescens

COMMON NAME: Mountain Azalea

GARDEN SIZE: 6-15 feet tall x 6-12 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 5 to 9

EXPOSURE: Shade (mostly shade, dappled shade, or morning sun with afternoon shade; all-day filtered sun). May tolerate being in more sun if given more water (but still avoid leaving them with wet feet).

WATER & SOIL: Medium, consistent water. Avoid wet feet; prefers light, acidic, sandy, well-drained soils

HABIT (FORM): Upright, large deciduous shrub

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; dull green, obovate to elliptic leaves with gray-pubescent undersides

FLOWERS: Pink (infrequently white); showy, fragrant, funnel-shaped; blooms in clusters (5-9 flowers per cluster) in early spring as foliage emerges

PLANT ORIGIN: Native to southeastern United States; found in moist woods, swamp margins, and along streams (North Carolina to Florida, west to Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas)

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: Host plant for local butterflies and moths, and food source for pollinators, birds, and small mammals. Supplies shelter and nesting sites.

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