Rhododendron 'PJM'

For me, Rhododendron 'PJM' is one of the main plants that signal the beginning of Spring. Nevermind that it is rather pedestrian, dotted everywhere around town and often residing on properties where it is obvious that gardeners do not live within. The reason for this is that, when it comes to rhododendrons, it is very cold hardy and one of the easiest to grow.

The story behind it is an interesting one. It was developed by Edmund Mezitt, the son of Peter J. Mezzit, an emigrant who fled the Russian czar and came to America in 1911. He and his wife Olga founded Weston Nurseries in 1923 in Connecticut. Their son, Edmund, had a passion for rhododendrons but was discouraged by the selection of offerings in the New England region. In 1939, he crossed Rhododendron carolinianum, a plant native to the Carolinas and Tennessee with Rhododendron dauricum var. sempervirens, an extremely cold-hardy plant gifted to his father by Russian missionaries. The result, Rhododendron 'PJM', named after his father's initials, took the country by storm and made their nursery famous.

I see 'PJM' growing in a variety of conditions - full sun, part sun, shade - it all seems to work but I would recommend a partly shady spot with preferably morning sun. It grows about 3 - 5 ft. in height and is upright. Today there are other varieties including 'PJM Elite' which has slightly brighter color and suppose to be more compact.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy