Canada Plum vs White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea) - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum vs White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea)

Prunus nigra

Rhododendron x White Lights

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

CUSTOM GROW

Canada Plum
White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea)

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

White Lights Rhododendron is part of the Northern Lights Series, cold hardy, and deciduous. In late spring you'll be drawn to its fragrant white blooms. In fall, the foliage turns a beautiful purple-bronze color. Pruning is recommended after the flowers are spent to control the size and shape of this shrub.

White Lights Rhododendron should be your next hedge/screen, or plant it on its own as a specimen plant.

Canada Plum Quick Facts

White Lights Rhododendron (Azalea) Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 4a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: All parts of a rhododendron bush, including the leaves, stems and blooms, are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: white
Flowers: white with pink blush
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum