Purple Rhododendron Shrub

Facts about Purple Rhododendron plant. Rhododendron name comes from the greek words "dendron" which means "tree" and "rodon" which means "rose" and that's where Rose tree name comes from. Rhododendrons and azaleas shrub is a flowering plant that belongs to the genus of the Ericaceae family.
Purple rhododendron has bright purple flowers. It blooms in the late spring, usually in May. Early blooming varieties bloom in late March or early April.

The Rhododendron thrives in hardiness zones five through eight. Lee’s dark purple rhododendron can survive in USDA hardiness zone 9. It can live in cooler regions if it has some protection from cold winds.

The Purple Rhododendron shrub requires partial sun. It needs watering at least weekly, more if it is exposed to extreme heat. The Purple Rhododendron shrub is a slow growing plant that reaches one foot in height and one to two feet in width. It needs moist, well drained soils. It does best in loamy and normal soils. If you are planting a new plant, use at least a trade gallon container.

The dwarf purple rhododendron bears the species name Rhododendron impeditum. Other purple rhododendron varieties usually have the name rhododendron followed by the breed name as their formal and/or Latin name. The competing varieties of purple rhododendrons may have light or dark purple bloods, or accents of green and white in the flowers. However, there are no blue rhododendrons. There are hybrids of the purple rhododendron that are lilac and nearly blue. For example, the Alexis rhododendron is a mixture of lavender and pink. The A Bedford rhododendron is lavender and blue. The purple rhododendron Blue Bell has a rich purple color and a yellow blotch on each flower. Azurro rhododendrons are dark purple with a black marking. The Blutopia purple rhododendron is a lilac bloom with a yellow blotch, the closest variety to creating a blue flower. The Bariton has a lavender bloom with a dark purple or black splotch. Burettia is a hybrid that is a mixture of purple and pink. Many so called blue rhododendrons are a cross of purple rhododendrons with speices like R. augustinni or R. calostrotum.

This flower is popularly used along garden borders, in rock gardens and woodland gardens.