Rhododendron simsii ‘Vittata Fortunei’
Masses of this large, old azalea surround the Garden’s Mirror Lake and it was one of the first azaleas planted by the WPA workers in the 1940s. White, purple or purple and white striped blooms, sometimes all on the same bush, appear in fall then start again in earnest in late winter throughout spring giving a long, extended season. This not an azalea for small spaces as it can get rather large.
| Type | Shrub |  |
| Size | 8-10′ tall and wide | |
| Flower | white or purple, with reddish stripes or flakes, early spring | |
| Hardy | Zones 8-9 | |
| Native | Asia |