Rhododendron x 'Koromo Shikibu' Fragrant well-drained soil in a sunny

well-drained soil in a sunny to lightly shaded spot

In spring the arching branches hang with small

or overwinter a plant in a pot under cover

National Arboretum

This is a plant that thrives in the Southern heat

Rhododendron x 'Koromo Shikibu' Fragrant well-drained soil in a sunny'Koromo Shikibu' is the spider azalea, and there is nothing else in the genus quite like the flower. Instead of the usual funnel, each bloom splits into narrow, strap like petals that spread apart like the legs of a starfish or a spider, lavender to purplish pink, spotted darker at the base, and carried in such profusion in spring that the whole shrub seems to shimmer. Once seen, the flower is not forgotten. The plant is Japanese, and the exact