Great Rhododendron
Rhododendron maximum
Great rhododendron, or rosebay, is the towering evergreen rhododendron that forms dense thickets in cool Appalachian forests, topped with trusses of white-to-rose bloom. A bold evergreen for moist, acidic shade.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Type
- shrub
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 10–25 ft
- Spacing
- 8–15 ft apart
- Light
- part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic
- Bloom
- June, July
- Bloom colors
- white, pink
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, hummingbirds, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~51 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen, hedge or screen
- Native states
- CT, GA, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV