Rhododendron yunnanense

Ericaceae

Rhododendron yunnanense

Habitat: partial shade Flowering: spring Height: 3 m Width: 4.0 m Soil: with humus, acid

The larger rhododendrons make the backbone of many a fine garden. We concentrate on species, not hybrids, where possible grown from wild seed.

		Rhododendron campanulatum CC5124 is highly desirable for its foliage as well as for its flowers. The young leaves have a metallic lustre, which eventually rubs off, but the undersides of the leaves remain thickly covered with rusty indumentum. The large trusses of flowers are white or pale rosy pink, or sometimes the pinky purple that is known as lilac-coloured. Which is about as helpful as calling a lilac rhododendron-coloured.
		Rhododendron catawbiense SDR2219 is a species that is well known in the Appalachian mountains in North Carolina, where it often grows on the summits of the mountains. One of the hardiest species, its pink flowers, usually a rich colour but with darker and paler, even white, variants, look excellent against the deep green foliage.
		Rhododendron clementinae subsp. aureodorsale is a lovely species in the Taliensis sub-section, named after George Forrest's wife. It makes a neat, rounded shrub, with oval leaves with thick indumentum, creamy coloured in this sub-species. The flowers are white, usually with a rose flush and crimson spots.
		Rhododendron clementinae SDR3230 is one of two Taliensia species named after George Forrest's wife, the other being Rhododendron traillianum. On one occasion we were delighted to find the hybrid between the two. It is a neat, rounded shrub, the oval leaves covered on the underside with thick creamy white or buff indumentum. The flowers are white, usually with a rose flush and crimson spots.
		Rhododendron cf. decorum SDR5026 is a shrub or small tree with lovely smooth foliage, flushed red-orange as the new growth appears in early summer. It has large trusses of open, funnel shaped, strongly fragrant white flowers. This came from a little-explored area, and could possibly be another species related to decorum.
		Rhododendron decorum SDR5805 is a collection of a fine, easily grown rhododendron, that came from a rather dry mountain slope. This species has trusses of large, open, funnel shaped, strongly fragrant white flowers, usually with a yellowish centre and occasionally flushed with pink.
		Rhododendron fortunea sub-section SDR4953 is a rounded shrub or small tree in sub-section Fortunea, from mixed forest at 3300 m. It has large leaves, and as a member of this sub-section will have trusses of a dozen or so large flowers, likely to be pale pink or white, probably with red spots.
		Rhododendron cf. kesangii KR9444 was collected by Keith Rushforth, and is believed to be Rhododendron kesangiae, in which case it will have wonderful trusses of rich pink flowers - eventually! These large-leaved rhododendrons do take quite a while to flower, but they are excellent plants for their foliage, too, and this is a rather rare species, relatively new in cultivation.
		Rhododendron magnificum hybrids are seedlings from a group of Rhododendron magnificum plants, which look very uniform, with very large, light green leaves and are very likely to be the species. This species comes from the region of the border of Burma and Tibet, where it can grow to as tall as 30 m, which puts the large trusses of bright pink flowers far beyond eye level. In the garden they won't be so far away - or not for a very long time.
		Rhododendron aff. oreotrephes SDR5027 is one of the triflorum rhododendrons, with quite small leaves with a blue-grey bloom, and covered with pale purple flowers in spring, in our garden about a week earlier than the related Rhododendron yunnanense.
		Rhododendron phaeochrysum var. phaeochrysum SDR4237 has leaves that are glossy above and have light red-brown indumentum, which is soft in this variety, underneath. The flowers are white. This came from 3500 m in mixed coniferous/deciduous forest.
		Rhododendron 'Praecox' is a low to medium-growing shrub, and is one of the earliest to flower in late winter and early spring - praecox means early. It produces many trusses of 2 or 3 violet-purple, funnel-shaped flowers. The leaves are glossy green and paler on the underside. A real treat for early spring colour, and always as delight in our garden. It also makes a good hedge.
		Rhododendron rubiginosum SDR5142 is a medium-sized shrub, rather upright, with long, slender branches, which reliably covers itself with rich pink flowers, which are enhanced further by deep red spotting at the centre of the flowers, and a brilliant scarlet stigma.
		Rhododendron thomsonii subsection? SDR5174 is not yet identified, but this species has flowers with very obvious large calyces, which suggests that it is a member of the thomsonii subsection. Until they flower we won't be able to be sure what it is.
		Rhododendron cf. wardii SDR5821 is a compact species with rounded bluish-green leaves and bright yellow flowers, which may have a crimson blotch. It is one of the finest yellow species. These are seed-raised plants with the identity not yet confirmed.
		Rhododendron yunnanense SDR4217 is a lovely species, flowering reliably every year, usually covering itself with flowers. It is quite variable, with flowers sometimes almost pure white, sometimes pink or pale mauve, with yellow to red spots. The new shoots each year can be 30 cm or more long, with leaves along the whole length, so eventually this can make quite a tall shrub. Most forms are evergreen, but a few lose their leaves in winter, in which case they can look even more dramatic in spring.
		Rhododendron yunnanense SDR4957 is a lovely species, flowering reliably every year, usually covering itself with flowers. It is quite variable, with flowers sometimes almost pure white, sometimes pink or pale mauve, with yellow to red spots. The new shoots each year can be 30 cm or more long, with leaves along the whole length, so eventually this can make quite a tall shrub.
		Rhododendron yunnanense SDR4960 is a collection of this fine, floriferous species, with flowers white, pink or pale mauve, with yellow to red spots.