Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Rhododendron 'Looking Glass'
Looking Glass Rhododendron
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Height
- 4 to 5 ft
- Width
- 3 to 4 ft
- Flower color
- Deep pink, frilled funnel-shaped blooms opening from deep red buds
- Foliage color
- Medium to dark green evergreen leaves
- Bloom time
- Mid spring (generally May)
- Light
- Part shade to mostly shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low to moderate; deadhead spent flowers and prune lightly only when needed
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators
About this plant
Rhododendron 'Looking Glass' is a compact evergreen shrub with a rounded habit and medium green foliage with a pale felted underside. In early May it produces large ball-shaped trusses above the leaves. Deep rose buds open to rosy-pink flowers with frilled margins, the color softening as they age and forming a dome of blossom that attracts bees and other pollinators.
Raised in Washington State from a cross of Rhododendron yakushimanum and 'China', 'Looking Glass' was introduced around 1988. Selected for hardiness and dense branching, it suits low foundation plantings, mixed borders, and acid beds where its spring bloom and evergreen foliage provide reliable color and structure.
Works well in
Shade Gardens · Borders · Containers · Woodland Gardens
Companion plants
Skimmia · Japanese maple · Ajuga · Autumn fern · Snowdrops · Hellebore
Design tip
Arrange ‘Looking Glass’ where its rounded form can bridge the height difference between low perennials and taller shrubs. Its dense branching keeps that transition substantial year-round, while the spring flowers bring a concentrated burst of color to the middle planting layer.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Washington Park Arboretum.
