About
A large, evergreen shrub or small tree to 8m tall. Fifteen to twenty-five bell-shaped flowers are borne in trusses to 15cm in diameter in spring; flowers are creamy-yellow, white or rose-pink with dark crimson blotches at the base. Dark green leaves up to 22cm long are covered with a cinnamon-brown felt on the undersides.
About the genus
Rhododendron can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple leaves, sometimes with a dense colourful indumentum of hairs on the lower side, and funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular flowers that may be solitary or in short racemes
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs
HabitBushy
FoliageEvergreen
Height4-8 metres
Spread4-8 metres
Time to full height10-20 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden
Native toChina NE Myanmar
ToxicityHarmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises) Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moist but well-drained, leafy humus-rich, acid soil in part shade with shelter from cold winds; see rhododendron cultivation
PruningPruning group 8
PropagationPropagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or layering in autumn
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron and azalea whitefly, rhododendron leafhopper, pieris lacebug, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to various Rhododendron diseases including powdery mildews, rhododendron petal blight, rhododendron bud blast, silver leaf and honey fungus