Rhododendron rubiginosum

John Fielding

Shrubs Trees

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A vigorous evergreen shrub or small tree with dark green leaves coloured brown on the underside. In April and May it produces funnel-shaped, lilac-pink flowers with reddish spots around the throat. Tolerant of exposed sites and neutral soil

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Neutral or Acid

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Harmful 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
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
Plant Range: China Myanmar

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist , humus-rich soil ideally in light dappled or part-day shade. Apply a mulch of chipped conifer bark annually in late winter. Keep plants well watered until established. See rhododendron cultivation for further information

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer; layer in autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 8

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron and azalea whiteflies, leaf hoppers, lacebugs, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, bud blast, honey fungus, rust, leafy gall, petal blight, silver leaf, Phytophthora root and shoot rots