About
This dwarf, procumbent habit and hairy-margined, mid-green leaves on hairy shoots; small, saucer-shaped reddish-purple or pink flowers borne singly or in pairs, late spring and early summer.
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
AspectNorth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens
Native toN Japan, E Russia, USA (Aleutian Islands, Alaska)
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; see rhododendron cultivation for further information
PruningPruning group 1
PropagationPropagate by seed as soon as ripe - garden collected seed may not come true but hand pollinated plants generally produce true to type; propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer
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