Illustration
Album Rhododendron
Rhododendron 'Catawbiense Album'
Also called catawbiense album and catawba album
Album Rhododendron blooms from May through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Album Rhododendron
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 6 ft tall and 6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 10 years (checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant, with what the sources could not settle written down; years to mature size rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one, and is marked so; its common name and alternate names have not been checked yet. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Album Rhododendron
Plant Album Rhododendron in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms in May.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Album Rhododendron get?
6 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult6 ftwideSee Album Rhododendron in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Album Rhododendron
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Album Rhododendron about 6 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Album Rhododendron to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Album Rhododendron's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 9 published sources on September 26, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- Plant Addictsthe store; one voice with its grower Prides Corner Farmsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State Extensionspecies page, Rhododendron catawbiensehardiness zones, sun, water, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- briggsnursery.comBriggs Nurseryheight, spread, hardiness zones, bloom months and color and trait tags
- medfordnursery.comMedford Nurseryheight, spread, hardiness zones and bloom months and color
- plantdatabase.uconn.eduUConn Plant Database (species page, Rhododendron catawbiense)bloom months and color, soil, diseases and pests
- pridescorner.comPrides Corner Farmsheight, spread, hardiness zones and bloom months and color
- rhododendron.orgAmerican Rhododendron Society (Hybrid Rhododendron Plant Description,...height, hardiness zones, bloom months and color and years to mature size
- Missouri Botanical Gardenspecies entry, Rhododendron catawbiensesun, bloom months and color and toxicity
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Album Rhododendron
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses: all parts and the nectar hold grayanotoxins. Even a few leaves can cause vomiting, weakness, and dangerous heart effects. per ASPCA
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.