Vibrant pink flowers with a darker throat open very early in spring, among the first rhododendrons to bloom. Rhododendron 'Aglo' grows 5 to 6 feet tall and wide in part shade, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 8.
At five to six feet in both directions this is the largest of the small-leaf group, usable as an informal evergreen hedge or a screen rather than a foundation shrub.
The small-leaved rhododendrons, sometimes called lepidotes, differ from the big-leaf types in more than size. They flower earlier, take more sun, handle cold better, and the foliage turns mahogany or plum through winter instead of staying green. The leaves are aromatic, releasing a spicy scent when brushed. In colder gardens they behave as semi-evergreens, dropping a share of the older interior leaves over winter while holding the newer growth at the branch tips. That thinning is normal and the plant refoliates in spring.
Acidic soil is necessary, roughly pH 4.5 to 6.0, with good drainage. Mulch the shallow roots.