In the wild species of dwarf Rhododendron cover huge areas of moorland and mountainside in western China and the Himalaya. In the garden we make do with a few plants, but their range of colour (mainly pinks and purples, but including white, yellow and red) and their reliable flower power make them invaluable for sites that are not too dry or (with some exceptions) too alkaline.

Rhododendron racemosum is one of the small rhododendrons that is often found in the wild growing on limestone. This most attractive species, not one of the smallest, being more upright than the common dwarf kinds, has shoots with clusters of flowers in the upper leaf axils. The flowers are usually rich pink, but colour variants are known, even (rarely) pure white.