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Alpenrose

Rhododendron ferrugineum

Also called Alpine-rose, Rusty-leaved alpenrose, Snow-rose, Rhododendron, Alpen Rose

Alpenrose is a small evergreen shrub from high mountain slopes just above the tree line, grown mainly in cool gardens on acidic soil. It is the type species of the large genus Rhododendron.

Family: Ericaceae (Heather family)
Grows as: Tree, Shrub
Light: Part shade, Bright indirect
Water: Keep soil evenly moist, especially in summer, and avoid waterlogging.
Soil: Acidic, humus-rich, well-drained soil (ericaceous mix when potted).
Temperature: Cool conditions suited to alpine climates; tolerates hard winter cold, protect young plants from heat above about 25 °C.
How easy: Moderate
Safety: Toxic: All parts contain arbutin, arecoline and rhodoxanthin, which can cause vomiting and problems with the digestive, nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range: Pyrenees, E. France to NW. Balkan Pen., Poland (Karkonosze Mts.)
Climate: temperate

About

Rhododendron ferrugineum, the alpenrose, snow-rose, or rusty-leaved alpenrose is an evergreen shrub that grows just above the tree line in the Alps, Pyrenees, Jura Mountains and northern Apennine Mountains, on acid soils. It is the type species for the genus Rhododendron.

Safety

Rhododendron ferrugineum is moderately toxic, containing arbutin, arecoline and rhodoxanthin, and it can cause vomiting and difficulties of the digestive, nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems.

Where it grows

Rhododendron ferrugineum grows primarily on acidic siliceous soils, whereas its close relative Rhododendron hirsutum grows on basic carbonate-rich soils. These two types of soils frequently occur near each other in the Alps.

Other Rhododendron plants

Rhododendron aberconwayi · Sagan Dalya · Rhododendron adenogynum · Rhododendron adenosum · Rhododendron aganniphum · Cascade azalea · Rhododendron albrechtii · Rhododendron album · Rhododendron alutaceum · Rhododendron annae · Rhododendron anthopogon · Rhododendron araiophyllum

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rhododendron ferrugineum 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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Know any plant.Grow it well.