Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
AcidColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Red | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in moist but well-drained, humus rich, acidic soil, in partial or dappled shade, may tolerate a more open site if sheltered from cold, drying winds. Choose a site away from frost pockets. Mulch annually, ideally with leaf mould. See rhododendron cultivation for more detailed advice
Propagation
Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer, layering in autumn or grafting in winter
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Low Maintenance
- Banks and slopes
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Pruning group 8 (evergreens)
Pests
May be susceptible to vine weevil, whitefly, rhododendron leafhopper, lacebugs, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids
Diseases
May be susceptible to rhododendron diseases including rhododendron bud blast and rhododendron petal blight, as well as powdery mildews, honey fungus, rust, leafy gall, silver leaf and Phytophthora root and shoot rots
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.