Rhododendrons

Rhododendron albrechtii

Subgenus Pentanthera Section Sciadorhodion

Species deciduous azalea

Epithet: after Dr M. Albrecht, a Russian naval surgeon

AM 1943 (Bodnant),FCC 1962 (Bodnant) to clone 'Michael McLaren', AGM 1993

H4

Shrub with a lax habit growing to 0.9-2.4m in height

Flowers: Trusses of 2-5 rotate-campanulate, single flowers that open before or with the leaves. Flowers are 23-35mm long × 35-50 mm wide; red-purple, bright purplish-rose or deep rose, with olive-green spots on the upper lobe; 10 stamens

April-May

Not scented

Foliage: Dark green leaves, 21-135mm long × 9-63mm wide, in clusters of 5 at the end of branchlets, obovate or oblong-obovate, both surfaces densely strigose and bristle-toothed on the margin. Good autumn leaf colour. Deciduous

Distribution: Central Honshu to Hokkaido, Japan at 750 - 2,300m

Other information: Discovered by Michael Albrecht in 1860, growing in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. Seed sent by both Charles Sargent (1892) and Ernest Wilson (1914) to the Arnold Arboretum

Easy to grow; best grown in light shade but does need some sun. Commercially available