Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Rhododendron 'Silver Sword'
Silver Sword Azalea
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Height
- 2 to 4 ft
- Width
- 3 to 5 ft
- Flower color
- Rose-pink to red blooms
- Foliage color
- Evergreen, narrow leaves with creamy-white margins
- Bloom time
- Mid to late spring (May)
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; prune lightly to remove dead wood
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 6a to 9b
- Wildlife
- Spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators; evergreen foliage offers shelter and cover for small birds and other garden wildlife
About this plant
Rhododendron 'Silver Sword' is an evergreen azalea with a low, mounding habit and glossy green leaves edged in creamy white variegation. In spring it blooms with clusters of funnel-shaped flowers that start rose-pink or red and gradually soften as they age, offering a season of shifting color over the variegated foliage. The variegated leaves often take on red or bronze tones in cooler seasons, giving multi-season interest.
Developed in the late 1940's as a landscape azalea for hardiness and decorative foliage, 'Silver Sword' excels in partial shade to filtered sun. Its compact form, variegated foliage, and spring bloom make it ideal for mixed borders, woodland-edge plantings, and container culture where foliage and bloom can both be enjoyed.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Borders · Containers · Cottage Gardens
Companion plants
Irises · Italian buckthorn · Sneezeweed · Fountain grass · Rock cress · Flowering quince
Design tip
Brighten a planting with ‘Silver Sword’ where its cream-edged leaves can break up larger areas of solid green throughout the year. Its low, spreading form works especially well beneath taller shrubs, adding another layer without obscuring plants behind it.
