Rhododendron racemosum | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Rhododendron |
Species: | R. racemosum
|
Binomial name | |
Rhododendron racemosum | |
Synonyms | |
|
Rhododendron racemosum, the racemose rhododendron[2] (Chinese: 腋花杜鹃; pinyin: yèhuā dùjuān),[3] is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to forest and grassland at 1,500–3,500 m (4,900–11,500 ft) in northwestern Guizhou, southwestern Sichuan, and Yunnan, China.[3]
It is an upright evergreen shrub growing to 2 m (6.6 ft) tall by 1.5 m (4.9 ft) broad. In early spring it bears masses of pale or deep pink trumpet-shaped flowers, each with up to 10 prominent stamens.[2]
In cultivation in the UK Rhododendron racemosum and the cultivar ‘Rock Rose’[4] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[2][5] It is hardy down to −20 °C (−4 °F) but like most rhododendrons it requires a sheltered spot in dappled shade, and an acid soil enriched with leaf mould.