Talk about dazzling!
This spring-blooming deciduous Rhododendron 'Mandarin Lights' Azalea presents a profusion of mandarin orange flower clusters, with up to 12 blooms, that emerge before the foliage for an interesting effect. It's impossible to ignore those fragrant blossoms (butterflies and bees sure don't), but the lustrous green foliage resting against dark branches is also eye-catching.
One of the 'Northern Lights' series developed for bud hardiness in Minnesota, Rhododendron 'Mandarin Lights' Azalea is cold hardy to Zone 3. The bush has an upright to rounded growth habit and grows at a moderate rate, reaching up to 5 feet tall and wide. It is quite versatile and even tolerates full sun but performs best in dappled shade. Easy care, it needs little more than consistent moisture and a good mulching, particularly in times of extreme heat, since it prefers cooler roots; however, it will tolerate occasional drought once established.
It makes a fine specimen, in a bed or container, but it beautifully accentuates a landscape when planted in mass in a foundation planting or mixed border.
