This hybrid between Rhododendron carolinianum & R. dauricum var. sempervirens bears the cultivar name 'PJM Elite.' There are many PJM or "Mezitt" cultivars, of which Elite is one of the deepest pink for blossoms, is latest to bloom of this early-blooming lot, & grows to be the largest.

The initials P.J.M. stand for Peter J. Mezitt, who began the process completed by his son Ed in developing the very first crosses ever to carry those initials. The first field of PJM was developed from 1936 to 1945 in Massachusetts, & Ed Mezitt's bushes have been the basis of many of the most popular cold-hardy varieties ever since. The larger-growing 'PJM Elite' is a later creation from these stocks, introduced to gardening in 1987