5 Ways to Use Rhododendron to Design a Beautiful Landscape, Plus How to Care for It

Rhododendrons add color and textural interest to any garden. Blooming in primary or pastel hues, they are evergreen, long-lived, and adapt to most climates.

Whether you choose to add them to a woodland setting, as a foundation plant, or as a hedge, there is a rhododendron perfect for your landscape.

How to Add Rhododendron to Your Landscaping

When you’re selecting rhododendrons for your garden, consider mature plant size, leaf color and texture, bloom time, and flower color. They can be incorporated into formal gardens or natural landscapes.

While azaleas are part of the Rhododendron genus, this article focuses on evergreen rhododendrons and hybrids characterized by bell-shaped flowers blooming in clusters with 5 lobes per flower and 10 stamens. The leaves are dark green, elliptical, glossy, thick, and leathery.

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As Foundation Plants

Rhododendron blooms are always eye-catching as a foundation plant but there is year-round interest in the texture of the leaves. The plants can be used in mass or combined with other shrubs. It is important to know the bloom color and how to look next to the exterior finish of the home and the mature height of the plant. Lower-growing cultivars are:

• Carolina rhododendron (R. carolinianum): 3-6 feet tall after 10 years with a similar spread. Pale lilac rose, white, or pale pink blooms appear in late spring.
• Chapman’s rhododendron (R. chapmanii): 3-5 feet tall at 10 years. Its form is rounded with pale pink to rose flowers. Heat tolerant and a good selection for southern-facing foundation beds.
• Rhododendron ‘Northern Starburst’: 4 feet tall and wide at maturity. Striking burgundy foliage and large pink blooms.
• Rhododendron “PJM Hybrid Group”: 4 feet tall and wide with mahogany-bronzed evergreen foliage and profuse pink, rose, magenta, lavender, or white flowers.

As Privacy Hedges

Thanks to their thick, evergreen leaves, rhododendrons are a perfect choice for a privacy hedge. The added benefit is the stunning springtime blooms. When selecting a cultivar for a hedge, consider the mature height of the plant.

• ‘Roseum Elegans’ (Rhododendron catawbiense): Grows 6-8 feet tall and wide with lavender blooms.
• Rhododendron maximum: Commonly called white laurel, it is one of the largest rhododendrons growing up to 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. White or pale pink flowers appear in late spring.
• English Roseum (Rhododendron x ‘English Roseum’): Grows 6-8 feet tall with large deep pink flowers.

For a Mixed Border or Bed

The late spring blooms of a rhododendron are a show-stopper in a mixed bed or low border along walkways and the foliage and shape bring year-round interest.

They are the perfect backdrop for spring-blooming bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and snowdrops. Add hostas for textural contrast during summer days and chrysanthemums for fall color.

A mixed bed with larger rhododendrons is perfect along fences or as a backdrop to hardscapes like ponds and pools.

For Woodland Settings

Since most rhodendrons prefer dappled shade, they are ideal specimens for a woodland setting. The evergreen foliage will add winter interest and the pops of color are spectacular against the leaves and bark of trees.

As Container Plants

If you don’t have suitable garden space, choose a rhododendron as a container plant. They are shallow-rooted shrubs so the container can be wider than it is tall. Look for a container with good drainage holes about twice the size of the nursery pot. Fill the container with potting soil for acid-loving plants and choose a dwarf variety rhododendron like:

• Rhododendron ‘Peter J. Mezzit’: A dwarf evergreen Rhododendron ideal for containers. Produces abundant clusters of lightly scented violet-purple flowers on the dense mound of foliage in mid-spring. New leaves emerge light blue-green maturing to a glossy olive green and then to an attractive coppery color in winter.
• R. yakushimanum ‘Yaku Sunrise’: Dark green, slightly curved foliage with a suede-like felting underside. Blooms have picotee edging in magenta with white throat.
• Rhododendron ‘Ginny Gee’: Produces dense pink to white flowers in mid-spring. Grows only to 2 feet.

Things to Consider When Planting Rhododendron

Color Palette

The blooms are typically white, pink, purple, or red. There are some rare cream or yellow cultivars. Select varieties that will harmonize with plants flowering at the same time. When selecting a specimen, also consider the year-round color of the foliage.

Bloom Period

Most rhododendrons bloom in mid-to-late spring with a few like the Rosebay rhododendron (R. maximum) bursting forth in the summer. Your USDA hardiness zone greatly affects bloom time.

Height

While most rhododendrons grow rather slowly, always look for the mature height on the nursery tag when selecting a specimen. Refer to our suggestions for foundation plantings, privacy hedges, beds or borders, and container plants.

Other Plants

Rhododendrons tend to become leggy and bare near the ground as they mature. Consider planting lower evergreen shrubs, grasses, or flowers to keep plantings lush. These plants pair well with the acidic soil and shady conditions that rhododendrons prefer:

• Ferns
• Spring flowering bulbs – daffodil, grape hyacinth, snowdrops
• Hellebore, Lenten rose
• Hostas
• Astilbe
• Kalmia, Mountain Laurel
• Mahonia, Oregon Grape
• Viburnum

Caring for Rhododendron

Soil

Rhododendrons prefer soil that is loamy, well-draining, and acidic (<6.0) and with a high content of organic matter. Amend or avoid areas with heavy clay soils that can lead to root rot.

Water

Because the plants are shallow-rooted, it is important to water regularly to keep the soil moist. They will require irrigation during times of drought. Adding a thick layer of organic mulch under the shrub will help the soil retain moisture during the high temperatures of summer.

Light

The plants enjoy dappled sunlight through an upper canopy of trees, partial shade, or deep shade with less than two hours of direct sunlight.

Fertilizing

Rhododendrons require very little fertilizer if soil conditions are appropriate. Use a soil test to be sure the pH is acidic and, if needed, use a complete fertilizer such as 12-4-8 NPK.

Apply fertilizer when the soil is moist in late spring after flowering and as new growth emerges.

Common Issues

A few common insects that feed on rhododendrons are lace bugs, mites, and scale but these can be easily handled with a stream of water from a hose, insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or pesticide spray.

Possible diseases include powdery mildew, blight, crown rot, leaf gall, root rot, leaf spot, and rust. Each of these problems requires treatment to stop the progress of the disease or pruning to remove the damaged branches.