The 2011 rhododendrons of the year

Great Lakes

Elepidote: ‘Rona Pink’ (unknown parentage)
The plant is very floriferous with fragrant, dome-shaped trusses of 12 to 14 funnel-shaped flowers three inches wide covering it in midseason. Wavy-edged purplish-pink blossoms have lighter shading on the midribs and sparse yellow-green spotting on the dorsal lobe. It has dark green foliage and a spreading habit, growing wider than tall and reaching six to nine feet in 20 years. It was selected by Tom Koenig of New Jersey in the 1960s from a group of unlabeled Dexter hybrids, and is hardy to -26 C (-15 F).

Photo by Howard Kline