‘Southern Cerise’ Piedmont Rhododendron

(Rhododendron minus var. minus)

Selected by Ron Miller, Clarence Towe, and Tom Ranney along the shore of Gantt Lake in Southeastern Alabama. An exceptional southern form of R. minus with vivid pinkish-red (i.e., cerise) flower buds and tubes that open with bright, pinkish-violet petals. Compared with R. minus var. chapmanii, another southern form of R. minus, ‘Southern Cerise’ has much showier flowers, lusher foliage, and a less rangy habit. Heat tolerance is a given based on its provenance (within 30 miles of the Florida border). Definite potential for breeding programs. No patent or trademark.

Click on photo for larger image.