Rhododendron fulvum is an evergreen shrub or small tree from high mountains of southwest China and northern Myanmar, grown for its rose-pink spring flowers and cinnamon-felted leaf undersides. It is a hardy garden rhododendron that needs cool, moist, well-drained, acidic conditions.
Family
Ericaceae (Heather family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep soil evenly moist and never waterlogged; water with rainwater or soft water where possible.
Soil
Acidic, humus-rich, free-draining soil or ericaceous compost.
Temperature
Cool conditions suit it best; hardy to about -15 °C, protect young plants from hot, dry summers.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain grayanotoxins, which can cause nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure and weakness if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
China (NW. Yunnan) to NE. Myanmar
Climate
subalpine or subarctic
About
Rhododendron fulvum (Chinese: 镰果杜鹃; pinyin: liánguǒ dùjuān) is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to northern Myanmar and China. In China, it is found in southwest Sichuan, southeast Xizang, and western Yunnan. It grows at altitudes of 2,700–4,400 m (8,900–14,400 ft). It is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 2–8 m (6.6–26.2 ft) in height, with leathery leaves that are oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or obovate, 8–20 by 3–7.5 cm in size. The undersides are felted with a striking cinnamon colour. The flowers, borne in trusses in spring, are loosely bell-shaped, pale rose pink, with a crimson basal blotch and sometimes red spots.
In cultivation in the UK Rhododendron fulvum has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rhododendron fulvum 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.