Rhododendron irroratum
Common name:
Irroratum Rhododendron
Pronunciation:
rho-do-DEN-dron ih-rawr-ah-tum
Family:
Ericaceae
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree, 5 ft (1.5 m) tall in 10 years, finally to about 30 ft (9 m), upright, open, tree-like and often rather leggy. Leaves alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic, 7-14 cm long, about 3.5 times longer than broad, above pale green and glabrous when mature, some hairs on veins below. Flowers white or cream to violet-pink with green or purple spots, 3.5-5 cm long, tubular bell-shaped, in clusters with up to 15 flowers.
- -0°F, early-early-mid; quality rating: 3-4/3-4/3-4 [flower / plant & foliage / performance; scale 1 (poor) - 5 (best)].
- Native to China (Yunnan, Szechwan, 9,000-11,000 ft elevation). The species is variable and in the wild is divided into 3 subspecies, only R. irroratum var. irroratum is in cultivation (RHS Dictionary of Gardening). R. irroratum ‘Poka Dot’ is probably the most common cultivar, but it is not generally available.\
- irroratum: bedewed, dew-sprinkled, hence minutely spotted.
Click image to enlarge
-
flower cluster
-
flowers
-
stem and expanding leaves
