Photographer: David Heppert

This New England native evergreen grows in dense thickets in moist, well-drained soil. The shrub typically grows to 8' to 15' feet tall. Its branching habit is upright and spreading. Its blooms are white to pink and form large clusters of up to 25 flowers, each 1.5" across.

Rhododendron's hard wood is used for tool handles, decorative objects, and fuel. The leaves are poisonous to cattle and deer.

Bloom time Early June through mid-July