Knowledgebase
Spot on Rhododendron #926687
Asked March 24, 2026, 7:45 PM EDT
I have a rhododendron I planted last year. It now has red spots on it. Are the spots a concern?
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi,
These are normal and nothing to be concerned about. These are from last summer and look like a minor fungal leaf spot (5th tab from the left) from water remaining on the leaves. They will not affect the overall health or growth of the plant. If you irrigate with an overhead sprinkler, you will want to water at the base of the plant instead to avoid excess water on the leaves, but this is unavoidable with rain or dew.
The leaves will not repair themselves or lose the spots, but eventually new growth will cover the damaged leaves, and those older leaves will fall off. As leaves fall, you can rake them up and compost or discard in yard waste to remove the fungal spores from the area. It won't provide 100% control, and they may get spots again this growing season.
Let us know if you have further questions.
Emily
