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Pinxterbloom Azalea

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Clouds of fragrant pale pink tubular flowers open on bare stems before the leaves, in the eastern woodlands where it grows wild. A true deciduous azalea, open and twiggy in habit rather than the dense evergreen mound most gardeners picture. Needs acidic, humus-rich soil that never dries out.

Family

Ericaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

3–6 ft

Spacing

4–7 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

wet

Soil pH

acidic

Bloom

March, April, May

Bloom colors

white, pink

Wildlife value

butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds

Caterpillar hosts

~51 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

hedge or screen

Native states

AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV