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Key characteristics

Family: Ericaceae
Height: 6 to 10 ft
Width: 6 to 10 ft
Flower color: Lilac to light purple clusters often with reddish-brown or yellowish-red blotches in the throat
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

Shrubs

Rhododendron catawbiense 'Grandiflorum'

Catawba Rhododendron

Rhododendron catawbiense 'Grandiflorum' is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with dense, deep green foliage and a full, rounded presence. In mid to late spring, it produces compact terminal trusses packed with trumpet- to funnel-shaped flowers in lilac to lavender-purple tones. The upper petal typically shows throat markings in green to yellow-brown, often with speckling that can read as tan to reddish flecks.

'Grandiflorum' is a long-established garden selection associated with the Appalachian species Rhododendron catawbiense, a plant introduced to British gardens in the early 1800's and widely used for durable landscape plantings.

Light

Part shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Shade Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Hedging & Privacy
Woodland Gardens

Companion plants

Mahonia · Rodgersia · Primrose · Japanese aralia · Bergenia · Maidenhair fern

Design tip

Make ‘Grandiflorum’ a substantial anchor near the house or among smaller shrubs, where its broad evergreen form can steady the composition year-round. Allow some open space around it so the generous lavender flower clusters can read as a unified spring display.