← Bedfellow

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. Its leaves and nectar carry grayanotoxins responsible for "mad honey" poisonings, causing cardiac slowing if ingested.

Family

Ericaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

5–15 ft

Spacing

5–12 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

moist, wet

Soil pH

acidic

Bloom

June, July, August

Bloom colors

white, pink

Wildlife value

pollinators, butterflies, hummingbirds, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~51 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

naturalizing

Native states

AL, CT, GA, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV