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Rhododendron decorum

Rhododendron decorum
Photo: Daderot, CC0

Rhododendron decorum, the great white rhododendron, is an evergreen shrub or small tree from high forests of southwest China and northern Myanmar, grown for its large, very fragrant white to pale pink flowers. It prefers cool, humid conditions with acidic, well-drained soil.

Family
Ericaceae (Heather family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist and never waterlogged, using rainwater or soft water where possible.
Soil
Acidic, humus-rich, free-draining soil or ericaceous mix.
Temperature
10–20 °C preferred; hardy to about -15 °C with shelter from cold winds and late frosts.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Leaves, nectar and flowers contain grayanotoxins, which can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness and low blood pressure if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
SE. Tibet to China (SW. Sichuan, NW. Yunnan, W. Guizhou) and N. Indo-China
Climate
temperate

About

Rhododendron decorum, the great white rhododendron (Chinese: 大白杜鹃) is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to high forested regions of northern Myanmar and Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan, China growing at altitudes of 1,800–4,000 m (5,900–13,100 ft). Depending on the growing environment (either temperate or sub-alpine forest) it can be found as a shrub or small tree of 1–6 m (3.3–19.7 ft), with leathery leaves that are oblong, oblong-ovate or oblong-elliptic in shape and between 5–19 cm in length and 3–11 cm in width. Flowers are borne in trusses, white to pale pink, with a yellow throat, large and very fragrant.

It was first described by French botanist Adrien René Franchet in 1886.

Other Rhododendron plants

Rhododendron album · Rhododendron anthopogon · Rhododendron argyrophyllum · Rhododendron augustinii · Rhododendron bureavii · Rhododendron calophytum · Rhododendron calostrotum · Bell Flowered Rhododendron · Bent-style rhododendron · Rhodora · Catawba rosebay · Georgian Snow Rose

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rhododendron decorum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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