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 trichocladum is a small shrub with a rounded, open structure, leaves with hairy margins, and clusters of pale yellow flowers, which first open before the new leaves appear, but remain flowering until early summer. It was first collected by Delavay in 1885.