Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'
Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' · Ericaceae Popular
Large trusses of rosy-lilac flowers in late spring on a big, dense, dome-shaped evergreen. In gardens since before 1851.
- Size
- 8 ft tall, 8 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Part sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Late May to mid June
- Pets
- Toxic (severe)
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'
The planner designed this bed around rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' when this page was made: a 22 × 10 ft (6.7 × 3.0 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' × 1, pink
- 2 Bloody cranesbill × 6, white
- 3 Leadwort × 13, blue
- 4 Golden Japanese euonymus × 1, variegated leaves
- 5 White mugwort × 4, cream
- 6 Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe' × 3, pink
- 7 Golden ragwort × 19, yellow
- 8 Japanese forest grass 'All Gold' × 5, chartreuse leaves
- 9 Rose turtlehead × 5, pink
- 10 Sweet violet × 46, purple
- 11 Snowdrop × 12, white
- 12 Easter lily × 4, white
- 13 Asiatic lily × 5, orange
Why this plant
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So do golden Japanese euonymus and Japanese forest grass 'All Gold'.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 8 ft it is the tallest plant here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to white mugwort (5 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From late May to mid June.
- In company. With bloody cranesbill and golden ragwort in late May: 3 kinds at once.
- One of two evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.
Planned as an English border: 15 of the 19 groups (79%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Snowdrop and sweet violet, recognised partners, are side by side. Sweet violet is planted in 12 places along the bed, which gives it rhythm.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 6 Good, 1 Satisfactory.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' goes in a border
At 8 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is super tall (over 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
An 'ironclad': one of the old hybrids proven through a century of the worst winters and summers of the Northeast. If one large rhododendron is wanted, this is the safe choice.
- A large evergreen anchor
- Screening in part shade
- Reliable flowers in cold climates
What to plant with rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Mountain laurel: in flower together for three weeks, from late May; medium leaves against its bold ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Christmas fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; medium leaves against its bold ones; low enough (20 in) to stand in front of it.
- Hosta: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'
Does rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' need sun or shade?
Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' 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 rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' 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 rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' 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.
| Zone 4 | Late May to late June |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Late May to mid June |
| Zone 6 | Mid May to mid June |
| Zone 7 | Early May to early June |
| Zone 8 | Early May to early June |
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 rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' be planted?
7 ft (220 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 rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' plants do I need?
Usually one. At 7 ft (220 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 7 ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' 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 the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'?
These come closest to doing what rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Red osier dogwood: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 8 in narrower, white, not pink.
- American cranberrybush: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 20 in taller, 12 in wider.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'?
Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' 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 rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' look like in winter?
Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' 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.
More Rhododendron
- Azalea 'Delaware Valley White' Rhododendron 'Delaware Valley White'
- Azalea 'Hino-Crimson' Rhododendron 'Hino-Crimson'
- Catawba rhododendron Rhododendron catawbiense
- Evergreen azalea Rhododendron (Kurume hybrids)
- Flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
- Korean rhododendron 'Cornell Pink' Rhododendron mucronulatum 'Cornell Pink'
- Northern Lights azalea Rhododendron (Northern Lights Group)
- Pinxterbloom azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides
- Reblooming azalea Rhododendron (Encore Group)
- Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White' Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White'
- Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla' Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla'
- Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt'
- Rhododendron 'PJM' Rhododendron 'PJM'
- Rhododendron 'Purple Gem' Rhododendron 'Purple Gem'
- Rosebay rhododendron Rhododendron maximum
- Royal azalea Rhododendron schlippenbachii
- Swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum
- Yak rhododendron Rhododendron yakushimanum
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 8 ft (250 cm) tall, 8 ft (250 cm) wide
- Plant
- 7 ft (220 cm) apart
- Height class
- Super tall (over 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Late May to mid June; dense clusters; pink, lavender
- Leaves
- Bold texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Ericaceae
Checked against ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.