Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Rhododendron catawbiense 'Album'
White Catawba Rhododendron
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Height
- 5 to 8 ft
- Width
- 5 to 8 ft
- Flower color
- White blooms with a greenish-yellow blotch in the throat (buds often pale pink)
- Foliage color
- Evergreen, glossy dark green leaves
- Bloom time
- Mid to late spring
- Light
- Part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low to moderate; remove spent flowers, prune lightly to maintain shape
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees and other pollinators; evergreen foliage provides shelter for birds
About this plant
Rhododendron catawbiense 'Album' is an evergreen shrub with dense, leathery, dark green foliage and an upright, rounded habit. In late spring, it produces trusses of large, bell- to funnel-shaped flowers. Buds may show a faint blush before opening to clean white blooms, each marked with a greenish to yellow-green blotch or shading in the throat, adding subtle detail.
'Album' is a species native to the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. In gardens it has been grown for well over a century and is often grouped among the classic "ironclad" rhododendrons valued for dependable performance. Its late-spring flowering and evergreen structure make it useful in woodland borders, screens, and foundation plantings.
Works well in
Shade Gardens · Foundation Plantings · Native Gardens · Woodland Gardens
Companion plants
Leucothoe · Solomon’s seal · Bergenia · Japanese plum yew · Hosta · Snowdrops
Design tip
Anchor a shaded foundation planting with ‘Album’, allowing its rounded evergreen form to visually connect the house with surrounding garden beds. The white spring flowers can also lighten areas beneath taller trees, especially when nearby plantings remain restrained during its flowering season.
