Rhododendrons

Rhododendron 'Tatum's Deep Pink'

Hybrid deciduous azalea

Wild collected selection from R. occidentale

Selected and named by T Tatum 1974, registered by R.W. Cavender 2008

H6

Shrub 2.1m tall × 0.9m wide in 20 years

Flowers: Flat trusses of 10-15 tubular funnel-shaped, single flowers. Flowers are 50-65mm long × 55-75mm wide with 5 wavy edged lobes; buds deep pink, in full sun opening inside white, with some light purplish pink on just the midrib or up to entire inside of one to five lobes; in shade the light purplish pink is less intense and may appear only on the midrib of one or two lobes; outside very variable from mostly white to deep purplish pink with some spotting. The dorsal lobe has a strong orange yellow blotch on the lower half  

Mid-May - mid-June

Strongly scented

Foliage: Leaves are elliptic, 50-75mm long × 15-25mm wide; margins flat, glossy and moderate olive green above, hairless

Other Information: Collected by Tom Tatum on Stagecoach Hill azalea reserve, California, USA. Unlikely to be commercially available