Appearance

Growth form

A deciduous shrub, usually 4–8 ft (1.2–2.4 m) tall and wide in gardens.

Leaves

Pointed, oval leaves 1¼–2¾ in (3–7 cm) long that turn yellow, bronze, and red in fall. The species name mucronulatum refers to the sharp leaf tip.

Flowers

Funnel-shaped flowers in pink to rosy purple, about 1¼–1¾ in (3–4.5 cm) across.

Flowering time

Blooms from late winter into spring in U.S. gardens. In the northeastern U.S., it flowers in March and April.

Look-alikes

Royal azaleaRhododendron schlippenbachii

Korean rhododendron usually flowers on bare branches. Royal azalea opens larger, paler pink flowers as its leaves emerge.

Why they get mixed up · Both are deciduous pink-flowered rhododendrons grown in U.S. gardens.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• gardens
• woodland plantings

Range

Native to Korea, northern China, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East. In the U.S., it is grown in gardens in the Northeast and Southeast.

Preferred conditions

Hardy in USDA zones 4a–8b. It likes moist, well-drained, acidic soil enriched with leaf mold, in dappled shade and a sheltered spot.

Flowering

Flowers Mar–Apr

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Flowers

Flowers Mar–Apr

Cautions

Cautions

All parts contain grayanotoxins and should not be eaten.

Connected species

Ties with other wildlife

In North Carolina gardens, deer often browse this shrub.

Name and classification

About the name

Korean rhododendron is also called Korean azalea.

Varieties and forms

'Cornell Pink' is a garden selection with pale pink flowers.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• In Korea, the petals are traditionally pressed onto small pan-fried rice cakes called hwajeon for a spring festival, and they're also used to flavor a traditional liquor.
• Its Korean name is jindallae. Kim So-wol's 1925 poetry collection is titled after the flower.