Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Rhododendron x 'Girard's Fuchsia'
Girard's Fuchsia Azalea
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Height
- 3 to 5 ft
- Width
- 3 to 5 ft
- Flower color
- Bright fuchsia to deep pink-purple blooms, often with a rich, vibrant tone
- Foliage color
- Evergreen glossy green leaves that may take on reddish tones in cool weather
- Bloom time
- Mid spring
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; minimal pruning needed beyond light shaping after flowering
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Wildlife
- Fragrant shows of spring flowers attract pollinators; evergreen foliage provides shelter and cover for birds and small wildlife
About this plant
Rhododendron x 'Girard's Fuchsia' is an evergreen azalea with dense, glossy, green foliage that can take on reddish winter tones. In mid spring, usually April into May, it opens generous clusters of ruffled, wavy flowers in bright fuchsia to pink-purple shades. Individual blooms can reach about 3 inches across, and the color holds well through spring weather.
This cultivar comes from the Ohio-based Girard Nursery breeding program in the late 1940's, developed to broaden hardiness and garden reliability. As it matures it becomes a substantial, well-branched shrub, valued for consistent spring flowering and good winter leaf retention, fitting woodland borders, foundation beds, and mixed shrub plantings.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Borders · Cottage Gardens · Containers
Companion plants
Aster · Firethorn · Sneezeweed · Blue grama grass · Hebe · Manzanita
Design tip
Give ‘Girard’s Fuchsia’ enough breathing room for its broad, well-branched form to read clearly rather than merging into neighboring shrubs. Its intense spring color can carry a planting on its own, making quieter companions especially effective around it.
