Bessie Howells Rhododendron

Bessie Howells Rhododendron is a stunning compact evergreen shrub that delivers a spectacular spring display of deep purplish-red frilly blooms with dramatic dark red blotches. This beloved catawba hybrid is prized for its prolific flowering, tidy mounding habit, and year-round evergreen foliage, making it a versatile performer in woodland gardens, foundation plantings, and mixed shrub borders alike. Pollinators flock to its vivid blooms each spring.

• Profuse deep purplish-red frilly flowers with dark red blotches in spring
• Compact, mounding habit, 4–6 ft. tall and wide
• Rich, dark evergreen foliage provides year-round structure and beauty
• Attracts bees and pollinators in spring
• Excellent for foundation plantings, woodland edges, and mixed borders
• Prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil with partial shade
• Hardy in Zones 5–8

Plant Bessie Howells Rhododendron in a location with morning sun and afternoon shade, or dappled light under tall trees. This variety thrives in cool, moist, acidic soil with good drainage, amend with peat moss or compost at planting to create ideal conditions. Keep the root zone consistently moist and mulch heavily to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Avoid planting in hot, dry, or windy spots. Feed with an acid-formulated fertilizer each spring for the most vibrant bloom display.

Add a burst of bold spring color to your garden, order Bessie Howells Rhododendron today!