Rhododendrons

Rhododendron luteum

Subgenus Pentanthera Section Pentanthera

Species deciduous azalea

Synonym: Common yellow azalea, Azalea pontica

Epithet: yellow

AM1930, AGM (1993, 2002) 2012

H7

Vigorous, stoloniferous shrub growing to 0.6-3.6m in height

Flowers: Trusses of 7-12 tubular funnel-shaped, single flowers appear before the leaves. Flowers are 32-45mm long × 45-50mm wide; bright yellow with darker blotch

May - June

Scented: strong, sweet fragrance

Foliage: Dark or pale green leaves, oblong, oblong-obovate or oblong-lanceolate. Leaves are 50-145mm long × 13-42mm wide; strigose-glandular; margin serrulate, strigose. Good autumn leaf colour. Deciduous

Distribution: Caucasus, N Turkey, SW Russia, Georgia, Ukraine up to 2200m

Other information: Introduced by Pallas from the Caucasus 1792. In much of Europe, it is a first-rate garden plant, popular for its ease of cultivation, its yellow, fragrant flowers and its red, orange to purple autumn leaf colour. Commercially available

Number 21 of the Top 100 Rhododendrons chosen by members of the RCM Group in 2015