Large lilac-rose flower clusters open in late spring on a vigorous shrub 7 to 8 feet tall and wide. Rhododendron catawbiense 'English Roseum' grows in part shade, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 8.
This one takes both hard winters and humid summers, which is a wider tolerance than most rhododendrons manage, and it flowers reliably rather than skipping years.
The large-leaf rhododendrons hold their foliage year-round rather than thinning like the small-leaved types. Below about 25 degrees the leaves droop and curl up, curling tighter the colder it gets, and they open again within hours once temperatures rise. It looks alarming the first winter and it is entirely normal, a water-conserving response rather than a sign of trouble.
At seven to eight feet in both directions this is a screening shrub or a back-of-border plant. Acidic soil is necessary, roughly pH 4.5 to 6.0, with good drainage and steady moisture. Mulch the shallow roots.