Rhododendron occidentale (A)
western azalea
R. occidentale is a bushy deciduous shrub, to 3m tall, with glossy mid-green foliage, glaucous beneath, turning orange and yellow in autumn. Fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers, to 10cm in width, are white, sometimes tinged with pink, and blotched yellow within, in early summer
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
10–20 yearsUltimate spread
1.5–2.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
AcidColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink White | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Orange Yellow | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Potentially harmful
- Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
- 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
- Name status
Correct
- Horticultural Group
- Azaleas can be deciduous or evergreen, with mostly small, frequently fragrant, funnel-shaped flowers in spring or early summer; deciduous azaleas often have good autumn colour
- Plant range
- Western USA
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in moist but well-drained, leafy, humus-rich acid soil in part shade with shelter; see rhododendron cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed when ripe, or semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, layering in autumn or grafting in late summer or late winter
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Hedging and screens
Pruning
Pests
May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron and azalea whitefly, rhododendron leafhopper, pieris lacebug, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids
Diseases
May be susceptible to various Rhododendron diseases including powdery mildews, rhododendron petal blight, rhododendron bud blast, silver leaf and honey fungus
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.