HOURS:
Mon to Fri 8am - 6pm
Fri & Sat 8am - 8pm
Sun 8am - 7pm
LOCATION:
8546 Sun Valley Road
Anytown, USA  12345
CONTACT:
phone: 261.788.5500
fax: 261.787.0463
e-mail: info@successgc.com
UP AND COMING
Deer-Resistant Gardening
Master Gardener Dorothy Dupage shares her experiences creating a truly deer-resistant garden in this month's popular 'Garden Talk' installment...
VIEW

Plant Finder

shrub

Purple Peter Rhododendron

Rhododendron catawbiense 'Purple Peter'

Add To My Wish List

Purple Peter Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense 'Purple Peter') at A Very Successful Garden Center

Purple Peter Rhododendron flowers

Purple Peter Rhododendron flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  6 feet

Spread:  6 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4b

Other Names:  Catawba Rhododendron

Description:

Captivating large purple blooms with dark purple blotches adorn this stately variety in mid spring; an accent or border shrub that will definitely stand out; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil

Ornamental Features

Purple Peter Rhododendron is covered in stunning clusters of lightly-scented purple trumpet-shaped flowers with a deep purple blotch at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The glossy narrow leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Purple Peter Rhododendron is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Purple Peter Rhododendron is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Mass Planting
  • General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Purple Peter Rhododendron will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Accent  Massing  Garden 
Applications
Flowers  Winter Value 
Ornamental Features