Catawba rhododendron

Questions about Catawba rhododendron

Does Catawba rhododendron need sun or shade?

Catawba rhododendron grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does Catawba rhododendron grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Catawba rhododendron flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to mid June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Catawba rhododendron be planted?

6½ ft (200 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 8 ft (250 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 ft (250 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Catawba rhododendron plants do I need?

Usually one. At 6½ ft (200 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 6½ ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is Catawba rhododendron poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, including the nectar, are highly poisonous if eaten and can affect the heart.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Catawba rhododendron?

These come closest to doing what Catawba rhododendron does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Red osier dogwood: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; white, not purple, medium leaves, not bold.
• American cranberrybush: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 20 in taller, 20 in wider.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Catawba rhododendron?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

What flowers after Catawba rhododendron?

Catawba rhododendron is over by mid June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Oakleaf hydrangea: from mid June to early August, 6½ ft tall.
• Foxglove: from early June to mid July, 4 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster': from late June to early October, 5 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does Catawba rhododendron look like in winter?

Catawba rhododendron keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is Catawba rhododendron good for bees and butterflies?

Catawba rhododendron is visited by pollinators, bees, specialist bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

It is native to the United States.