Virginia Tech Dendrology

white rhododendron Ericaceae Rhododendron albiflorum Hook. symbol: RHAL2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, to 3 inches, narrowly elliptical or obovate, upper surface often wrinkled, leaf margins wavy, light green and somewhat shiny above, dull below, may be pubescent on the underside and on petiole.
Flower: Showy, white to creamy white, with 5 rounded petals, appearing singularly or in clusters in the leaf axils, approximately 1 inch across, June to August, with a slight citrus scent.
Fruit: A red-brown, 5-parted woody capsule, 5/8 inch across when open.
Twig: Initially yellow-green and becoming gray-brown, buds are large and yellow-green with a few scales, leaf scars shield-shaped.
Bark: Smooth and gray-brown.
Form: Thicket-forming, with many single up-swept stems, usually to 6 feet tall. Thickets are often mashed in one direction by snowpack.

Additional Range Information: Rhododendron albiflorum is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information