Rhododendron x kosteranum 'Northern Hi-Lights'

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Key characteristics

Family: Ericaceae
Height: 4 to 6 ft
Width: 4 to 6 ft
Flower color: Creamy white to yellow flowers with a bold golden-yellow blotch in the throat
Foliage color: Deciduous medium-green leaves
Bloom time: Mid to late spring (April-May)
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; remove spent flowers; prune lightly after bloom as needed
Growing zone: USDA zones 4 to 8
Wildlife: Flowers attract bees and other pollinators

Shrubs

Rhododendron x kosteranum 'Northern Hi-Lights'

Northern Hi-Lights Azalea

Rhododendron x kosteranum 'Northern Hi-Lights' is a deciduous azalea with an upright, spreading habit and fresh green foliage that turns warm shades of yellow and orange in autumn. In mid to late spring, fragrant trusses of funnel-shaped flowers open creamy white to yellow, each bloom marked by a dark yellow flare and subtle red or orange spotting in the throat. The flowers appear before or just as the leaves expand, creating a luminous spring display.

Light

Full sun to part shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring (April-May)

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Cottage Gardens
Fragrant Gardens

Companion plants

Tulips · Beautyberry · Coreopsis · Maiden grass · Sea thrift · California lilac

Design tip

Group several ‘Northern Hi-Lights’ together rather than scattering individual shrubs, allowing their upright, spreading forms to merge into a generous informal mass. This approach gives the soft spring display greater impact and makes the warm autumn foliage read as one broad sweep.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)