Illustration
Blood Moon Rhododendron
Rhododendron 'Blood Moon'
Blood Moon Rhododendron blooms from May through May.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Blood Moon Rhododendron
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–8. Expect it to reach about 7 ft tall and 7 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 5 years (a house reading).
Is Blood Moon Rhododendron toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by NC State Extension, Pet Poison Helpline and Royal Horticultural Society.
- Listed as poisonous to people by NC State Extension and Royal Horticultural Society.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
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 Blood Moon Rhododendron
Plant Blood Moon 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 5 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 Blood Moon Rhododendron get?
7 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult7 ftwideSee Blood Moon 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 Blood Moon Rhododendron
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Blood Moon Rhododendron about 7 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Blood Moon 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
Blood Moon Rhododendron's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 7 published sources on October 10, 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.
- Plant Addictsthe store this queue entry namesheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State ExtensionRhododendron genus pagehardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- deesnursery.comThe Dees' Nursery & Florist (Oceanside, New York)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil and diseases
- pridescorner.comPrides Corner Farms (the wholesale grower, Lebanon, Connecticut)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, bloom months and color, trait tags and soil
- fieldstonegardens.comFieldstone Gardens (a store)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and bloom months and color
- gardencentermarketing.comClarity Connect's plant library for garden-center signageheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and bloom months and color
- vanwilgens.comVan Wilgen's Garden Center (Connecticut)height, spread and hardiness zones
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Blood Moon 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.