About
A dense, mounding, evergreen shrub, to 1.8m tall and wide, with elliptic, glossy leaves to 10cm long. Funnel-shaped pink flowers blotched with red and around 6cm across are borne in conical trusses of 8-21 flowers in spring.
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
FoliageEvergreen
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
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