Rhododendron, Azalea 'Purple Splendor'

I have to disagree with PotEmUps photo. I think perhaps her plant was mislabeled (it happens ALL to often, I just saw 100s of clematis mo...Read Morentana at Walmart ALL labeled as "Nelly Moser"). My Purple Splendor is about 15 years old & its flowers are a DEEP rich PURPLE. There is no doubt that they are PURPLE. Any way it grows really well here in WA.

I bought this as a small plug plant in early 1999. Once planted in the ground it grew very quickly, it is reliable and very hardy. Leav...Read Morees are small and pale green, and are covered in fine hairs. The flowers are approx. 2" in diameter, slightly frilly, with darker blotches on the upper throat. Flowers are hose-in-hose with only narrow back petals, which are also blotched. The colour of the flower can become bleached in full sun, but in this climate it remains a bright , light pink/purple.

The overall effect is stunning, I find it difficult to capture the true colour of the whole shrub from a distance, although the close up shots are quite realistic.