Discover the beauty of the Missouri native Rhododendron prinophyllum, also known as the Early Azalea or Roseshell Azalea. With its stunning pink flowers, which appear in early spring, before or at the time of the emergence of the foliage, this deciduous azalea is a sight to behold. The flowers are in trusses of 5-9 flowers each and emit a delightful clove-like fragrance. As if that weren't enough, the bright green foliage, with its grayish woolly underside, turns bronzish in the fall. An upright, rounded shrub growing 4-8' tall (and less frequently up to 15' tall), Rhododendron prinophyllum is extremely winter hardy, growing in the wild as far north as Quebec. It is even one of the parents of the Northern Lights hybrids developed by the University of Minnesota. Formerly known as Rhododendron roseum, this shrub will be a showstopper in any natural, wooded, north-facing slope or ravine garden setting.
