Purple Gem Rhododendron

Rhododendron 'Purple Gem'

Purple Gem Rhododendron

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Click for Plant Facts – Height, Width, Sun, Water, & More!
Height : 4 feet
Spread: 4 feet
Sunlight: full sun to partial shade
Water Usage: moist
Landscape Use: Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use
Flower Color: Purple
Bloom Period:In Mid Spring
Foliage Type: evergreen
Foliage Color: Green
Deer Resistant?: No

Quick Description
Beautiful large purple blooms with violet streaks and edging adorn this majestic shrub in mid to late spring; an accent shrub that will definitely make an impact; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil

What Makes it Special?
Purple Gem Rhododendron is covered in stunning clusters of lightly-scented purple trumpet-shaped flowers with violet streaks at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has olive green evergreen foliage which emerges bluish-green in spring. The glossy narrow leaves turn an outstanding coppery-bronze in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.


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Landscape Attributes
Purple Gem Rhododendron is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season’s flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Planting & Growing
Purple Gem Rhododendron will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.



Want more info on sizes?
IndyPlants sells landscape size plant material. These often come in black nursery containers and are classified in sizes such as #2, #3, #5, etc. This correlates to the volume of the container, 2 gallon, 3, gallon, 5 gallon, etc. The bigger the number, the larger the pot, and the larger the plant. You’ll also see larger sizes such as 2” BB, 2.5” BB, 3” BB, etc. This stands for ‘Balled & Burlapped’. These plants are usually much larger and are not transported in black nursery pots. The sizing correlates to the diameter of the trunk of the tree.

Your Plants, Our Promise

If there’s a problem with a plant you’ve ordered from us, we’ll make it right. Period. Drop us a line at support@indyplants.com with a brief description and photos, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Do you accept returns?

We do our best to handpick only the best quality plants from trusted, local nurseries. If for whatever reason your order doesn’t meet your expectations, you can return your plants for a full refund within 48 hours of delivery.

Do your plants have a warranty?

Nature can take a toll on even the best cared for plants. If your plant dies within one year from the date it was delivered, you’ll get an exact replacement to the best of our ability. If you’d prefer a substitution or a full refund, we’ve got you covered.