Photo courtesy of Spotswood Greenery
Photo courtesy of Prides Corner Farms
Rhododendron X 'Purple Gem'
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Azure-purple flowers cover this dwarf shrub completely in early spring, on a plant that stays 2 to 3 feet tall and creeps 3 to 4 feet wide. Rhododendron 'Purple Gem' grows in part shade, hardy from Zone 5 through Zone 8.
The leaves are tiny and scale-like, finer than anything else in the group.
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.
The low creeping habit suits a rock garden, a trough, or the front edge of a shaded bed. Acidic soil is necessary, roughly pH 4.5 to 6.0, with sharp drainage. Mulch the shallow roots.
Height 2'- 3' Spread 3'- 4'
USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8
Lowest Temperatures -20°F to -10°F
Part shade - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, mostly before midday
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