rhododendron blooming twice?

[AnimalBabe]

I planted two english roseum rhododendrons in the early spring and they bloomed once in May after planting, but now I see new huge buds on it again (late August). Is it trying to bloom again? I pinched off the dead flower heads after the first bloom, as I read that will stimulate it to work on producing new shoots and bigger flowers next year. What I'm wondering is if these are actual flower buds that will open again this year, or if I should also pinch these off. Thanks for any advice!

Also, a few leaves (not many) are brown, is that normal?

[rainbowgardener]

Rhododendron sets the buds for next year's flowers in the fall. So if you pinch those now, you will not have flowers in the spring. But it is not going to bloom again this year.

Yes, in my experience a bit of browning leaf edges is not uncommon.

[AnimalBabe]

Thank you so very much! I've never had a shrub before that produced buds months before they were set to open! That's amazing. So glad I asked or I might have lost next years blooms. Thanks again!

[applestar]

Sometimes unusual/unseasonable weather conditions cause some buds to open but those are rare and probably won't affect the overall flower display in spring.

[rainbowgardener]

Setting buds the previous fall or even summer, for next year's blooms is not uncommon for shrubs. Lilacs do it, as do forsythia, some hydrangea and a number of others.