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Key characteristics

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

Shrubs

Rhododendron 'Silver Sword'

Silver Sword Azalea

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.

Light

Full sun to part shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring (May)

Find this plant

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.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)