Rhododendron 'Lee's Dark Purple'
Common name:
Lee's Dark Purple Rhododendron
Pronunciation:
rho-do-DEN-dron
Family:
Ericaceae
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf evergreen shrub, about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall in 10 years; upright, compact, rounded. Similar form and leaves to that of R. catawbiense. Leaves simple, alternate, slight waviness, glossy, dark green. Flower broadly funnel-shaped, 7 cm across, royal purple with greenish-brown to ochre marks within; in ball-shaped clusters of up to 16 flowers.
- -15°F, late mid, quality rating 2-3/3-4/4 [flower / plant & foliage / performance; scale 1 (poor) - 5 (best)]. Partial to full sun.
- An old selection, developed before 1851, by John Lee. Lee was a pioneer hybridizer of Lee and Kennedy at Hammersmith, London. The gardens of Lee and Kennedy were of such an extensive scale they were considered national monuments (History of Rhododendron Discovery & Culture; website).
- Corvallis: along River Front Park, near (under) the Harrison Ave. bridge; planted 2011.
Click image to enlarge
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opening flower cluster
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flower cluster
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flowers
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flower
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upper petals and markings
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leaf
