Rhododendron maximum aka American Rhododendron

Rhododendron maximum, also known as great laurel, great rhododendron, rosebay rhododendron, American rhododendron, and big rhododendron, is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Appalachians of eastern North America. It can reach heights of up to 10m in the wild, but typically grows to around 3.5m in cultivation. The elliptic leaves can grow up to 20cm long and have a rust-colored felting on the undersides when young, along with sparse hairs on the leaf stems. This late-flowering plant produces dense clusters of 14-25 small, bell-shaped flowers in shades ranging from white to lilac pink, with yellow-green speckles on the upper petals. It blooms in the summer. Rosebay rhododendron or great laurel is a large, upright, evergreen shrub that can grow up to 30-40’ tall in its native habitat, but typically reaches heights of 5-15’. The leathery, strap-like leaves are typically 4-8” long and have a hint of rusty orange on the undersides. The rose-purplish to pink to white flowers, often with olive green to orange spots, bloom in umbel-like inflorescences from June to early July. The fruit is an oblong seed capsule that splits open when ripe, releasing numerous seeds. The genus name, Rhododendron, comes from the Greek words rhodo meaning rose and dendron meaning tree, and was transferred from the Greek name for Nerium oleander.