Rhododendron prinophyllum - Roseshell Azalea
Formerly known as Roseum, this is called early Azalea blooming as early as April in some places in the south. Beautiful pink blooms appear at about the same time as foliage, The flowers are in trusses of 5 to 9 flowers each and have a clove –like fragrance. The bright green foliage turns bronzish in the fall. It is winter hardy as evidenced by it growing in the wild as far as Quebec. Typically it grows 4-8’ Tall in a rich, humusy, acidic soil in part shade. Apply a good organic mulch to retain moisture and to keep soil at the right temperature.
Semi-shade, Rich, Acidic Soil, Early Spring, 4-8’ Tall, Zones 3-8