8 Plants That Look Like Rhododendron – How to Tell the Difference

With their showy clusters of colorful flowers and lush green leaves, rhododendrons are one of the most popular flowering shrubs But what if you spot a plant that resembles a rhododendron but aren’t sure if it actually is one? Many plants share similar traits with rhododendrons, making identification tricky

In this article we’ll explore 8 plants that are often mistaken for rhododendron and provide tips on telling them apart. Read on to become a rhododendron lookalike expert!

First, let’s do a quick overview of rhododendron features. Rhododendrons are woody shrubs in the heath family, with large evergreen leaves. Depending on species, they reach heights between 1-20 feet.

Rhododendrons produce showy blooms in spring and summer. Flower colors include white, pink, red, purple, yellow and orange. The blooms grow in dense clusters at the branch tips.

With over 1,000 species worldwide, rhododendrons grow across Asia, Europe, and North America. Some popular garden varieties include Catawba, Rosebay, P.J.M. and Encore azalea.

Now let’s look at some common rhododendron doppelgangers.

8 Rhododendron Lookalikes

1. Mountain Laurel

Native mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is often confused with rhododendron. It has the same glossy green elliptical leaves and grows as a multi-stemmed shrub.

However, mountain laurel has clusters of small white or pink flowers with a bowl shape, unlike rhododendron’s bell-shaped blooms. It also loses its leaves in winter.

2. Oleander

With its shiny leaves and terminal flower clusters, oleander (Nerium oleander) resembles rhododendron. But oleander has narrow lance-shaped leaves and 5-petaled flowers. It’s also an evergreen shrub.

3. Hibiscus

Tropical hibiscus shares similarities like woody stems and showy flowers. But hibiscus has maple-shaped leaves and huge colorful blooms. The flowers only last a day compared to weeks for rhododendron.

4. Azalea

Azaleas belong to the Rhododendron genus but are deciduous while most rhododendrons are evergreen. Azalea flowers also have 5 stamens while rhododendrons have 10. Most azaleas are smaller shrubs under 6 feet tall.

5. Chinese Magnolia

Chinese magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) can resemble rhododendron from afar. But up close, you can see the distinctive tulip-shaped white magnolia flowers with a strong fragrance. The leaves are also smooth-edged rather than toothed.

6. Frangipani

Though frangipani (Plumeria rubra) shares a similar size and leaf shape with rhododendron, its fragrant, brightly colored flowers are unique. Frangipani leaves are also arranged in spiral clusters along the branches rather than opposite each other.

7. Andromeda

This small genus in the heath family can be confused with dwarf rhododendron varieties. However, andromeda produces small bell-shaped flowers in dangling clusters. The leaves are also very narrow and rolled under at the edges.

8. Peach Trees

From a distance, peach tree flowers look similar to pale rhododendron blooms. But peach trees have serrated, lance-shaped leaves that turn red in fall. The flowers are also much lighter pink and have a strong fragrance.

How to Identify the Real Thing

Here are some tips for confidently identifying a true rhododendron:

• Check for 10 stamens in bell-shaped flowers blooming in dense clusters
• Look for broad, thick alternating evergreen leaves with smooth edges
• Seek woody shrubs reaching 1-20 feet tall, depending on species
• Examine bark – tends to be scaly and reddish-brown

Using these rhododendron identification cues along with comparing other features like leaves, flowers and growth habit will help you correctly tell rhodos apart from lookalike plants.