Rhododendron viscosum 'Weston's Ribbon Candy' or Rhododendron 'Ribbon Candy'

An azalea that will grow in wet soil...surely not? Well, meet the Rhododendron viscosum, commonly known as Swamp Azalea, a North American native deciduous Rhododendron adored for its showy and wonderfully fragrant flowers, and its ability to thrive in moist to wet soils. In its native habitat it thrives in swamps, bogs, stream margins and wet lowlands from southwestern Maine to northeastern Ohio south to Florida and Alabama, and can even be found at higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. This is 'Ribbon Candy', a variety Bred and developed by Ed Mezitt of Weston Nurseries for high cold tolerance and hardiness to -30F. One of the last azaleas to flower in the season (May to July depending on location), Ribbon Candy features abundant clusters of striped dark pink and white buds that open to funnel-like, star-shaped, fragrant pink flowers with a "ribbon" of white striping the center of each petal. Each clove-scented flower is subtly splashed with a soft yellow blotch on the dorsal petal. Narrow, oval-shaped, dark green leaves through the warm season turn attractive shades of yellow, orange and purple with the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall. At 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide when all grown up, Ribbon Candy is a fine choice for partially shaded garden beds or in containers. As the name suggests, this one prefers life on the moist side, but doesn't like standing water.