The Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron, otherwise known as the Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) or Smooth Sumac, Scarlet Sumac, Vinegar Tree, is a somewhat well known shrub plant native to the Northeast, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest of the United States.
Best known for its low maintenance and slow growth, this shrub will likely liven up your house (or garden) with its green colored leaves. But, only if you learn how to take proper care of it for it to thrive.
Fortunately, taking care of your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is not too difficult – as long as you follow our guidelines in this Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron Care Guide. Now let’s get started.
In order to take proper care of your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron you’ll need to keep in mind the following guidelines:
- Water: The Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron prefers constant watering each week and more during the hot season.
- Light: Keep your Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) in an environment where it can receive partial sun on a daily basis.
- Soil: Make sure to keep the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron in soil with well-draining properties, so ideally, one that is made of clay, loam, chalk, and sand.
And that’s practically it! If you keep these three factors in check, your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron will likely have all it needs for it to survive and even thrive.

Scientific / Botanical Aspects
In botanical terms, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, the genus Rhus and the species Glabra, hence its scientific (or botanical) name Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) (roh-doh-DEN-dron).
As with other Rhus’s, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is an evergreen plant, which means it will be present year round in your garden.
Growing Region
The Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is a plant native to the U.S.A. to Canada. This is why the Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) is used to growing in specific regions such as the states in Northeast, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest of the United States.
As a rule of thumb, we recommend to always keep in mind your plants’ native region and environment, since these are the conditions that your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is most accustomed to, thus where it can most favorably.
With this in mind, the Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) will be most used to the heat zones in the 1 – 8 region, as the plant hardiness level falls between 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a and the ideal climate zone is between 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17.
Growth and Size
Growth
In terms of size and growth, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is a relatively slow grower, which makes things easy for any plant enthusiast.
Size
But what exactly does this mean for your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron? How large a pot should you consider, how tall, how wide can it get? Let’s jump in…
The Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) can grow up to 9′ – 15′ (270cm – 4.5m) in 9′ – 15′ (270cm – 4.5m) and 9′ – 15′ (270cm – 4.5m) in 9′ – 15′ (270cm – 4.5m).
Also, expect it to grow in a wonderful compact, and mounding shape, which is something worthwhile to remember when making your garden landscape plans.
Water
In terms of watering, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is a fairly simple plant to take care of.
This is mostly because it has a straightforward watering schedule and somewhat regular watering needs.
Specifically, most experts agree that the Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) prefers constant watering each week and more during the hot season.
Which is why it is considered a plant with relatively low to average needs in terms of water.

Watering
As a rule of thumb, you should remember to keep your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron in soil with well-draining characteristics, as these will guarantee the right conditions for your plant to grow and thrive.
When you consider this, this is why you should aim to choose soil that has good drainage, moist, and occasionally dry properties to keep the right moisture levels at all times.
But, if you want a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to watering your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron then you should consider the famous ‘finger’ test. To perform this test, you just need to put your finger in your plant’s soil and determine if it’s moist or not. If it is, then don’t water; if it isn’t, then please do. In any case, this test will allow you to know if your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron needs or does not need water, every time.
Soil Mix
As mentioned earlier, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron prefers to have soil with good drainage, moist, and occasionally dry properties at all times, reason why you need to make the soil mix out of clay, loam, chalk, and sand.
This is why most experts agree that the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron requires soil with clay, loam (silt), sand, and shallow rocky, which will give you the right conditions it needs.
In addition to this, expert gardeners recommend having preferably alkaline, acid or neutral soil.
Light and Exposure
In terms of light & exposure, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron requires partial sun in order for it to thrive under the right conditions.
Most experts agree that this shrub will do well as long as you keep it in partial to full sun, and it will be able to grow properly.
Specifically, we recommend that you place your Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) in little to partial shade (only 2-6 hours of direct sunlight a day), to full and direct sun (more 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).
Season
Being an evergreen plant, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron will be present year round in your garden.
But, you can expect it to have its ‘prime-time’ during the spring (late), the summer (early, mid, late), and during the fall.
Flowers
You can expect your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron to flower around the spring and in the summer months from April to June (spring), and from July to September (summer).
In particular, this shrub is well known for its showy flowers around the plant enthusiast community.
The Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron produces some beautiful red, or green and white flowers around this time of year.
Foliage
The leaves from the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron have a beautiful green color during most of the year.
In particular, they have a compound (pinnately, bipinnately, palmately) arrangement with a alternate organization in its leaves.
You can expect the leaves from your Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) to be around (3-6 inches) in size.

Attracts, Tolerance and Resistance
The Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron is well known for being able to attract butterflies and birds, so keep that in mind when choosing your plant, as you’ll likely end up finding one or another in your garden.
Additionally, it has a special tolerance for rocky soil, dry soil, drought and animals like rabbit, so don’t worry if any of these come along, your Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) will be fine.
Garden
Does your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron have any garden recommendations? Does it serve any gardening purposes? Here’s how you can get the most out of your new plant.
Most Rhododendron X ‘Scarlet Wonder’ (H-2) owners agree that this shrub will look great in most asian/zen and cottage gardens of all types.
Other owners consider that they complement well most gardens of informal and cottage, and in prairie and meadow styles.
In particular, the Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron’s best location within your garden is in banks and slopes, others use it for landscaping in a urban garden, specimen, rock garden, mass planting, hedge, container, border, or a woodland garden.
Companion Plants
Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron’s do well with some other plants beside it. One good companion plant is the Pieris, which will pair up nicely with your leafy friend.
Others consider that a nice Hydrangea will work well too, so choose whichever you find works best for you!
Conclusion
Even though we covered a lot of care information for your Scarlet Wonder Dwarf Rhododendron, remember the basics: sunlight, soil and water, as these should be enough to grow a healthy plant at home.