white rhododendron

Deciduous shrub with erect branched stems. Twigs have reddish hairs, peeling bark. Thin crinkled leaves are alternate in clusters, especially at stem tips. Leaves with rusty hairs on upper side, 2–4 in. long, oblong, turning brilliant reddish orange in autumn. Flowers clustered on last year's growth. Petals white, fused at base to form wide shallow bells with 5 lobes. Grows in moist to dry soils in conifer forests and along streams in upper forests and subalpine.