Rhododendron lutescens
(Yellow Rhododendron)
Family - Ericaceae
Category - Shrub
Origin - SW China
Season of Interest - Spring
Hardiness - H5
Height - 3.5m
Width - up to 5m
Location - The House Border
Description: A large, semi-Evergreen Shrub with an upright, bushy habit. Mid to dark green leaves are oblong to lanceolate in shape and the new growth emerges bronze-red in spring. Funnel-shaped flowers are a very pale shade of yellow and have long, protruding stamens. The uppermost petal of each flower is marked with deeper yellow spots. The Blooms are held in trusses at the tips of the stems and are produced from early to mid-spring.
Flower:
Funnel-shaped flowers are pale yellow and have long, protruding stamens in the same shade. The uppermost petal on each flower has darker, mustard-yellow spots. The flowers are held in trusses which are produced at the tips of the stems in March and April. (Occasionally earlier in a mild winter.)
Flower colour: Yellow
Flower shape: Funnel-shaped flowers in trusses
Flowering time: March, April
Foliage:
Mid to dark green leaves are oblong to lanceolate in shape and have a leathery texture. The new growth emerges bronze-red in spring. The leaves are spirally arranged on the branches.
Foliage Senescence: Semi-evergreen
Foliage Shape: Oblong to lanceolate
Propagation:
Cuttings.
Cultivation:
Best in a sheltered position in full sun to partial shade in fertile, moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained. This plant prefers a soil with an acidic pH.