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
Location: Llyshendy, Wales
Photo: Ivor Stokes
Location: Surrey
Photo: Polly Cooke
Photo: Chris Callard
Location: Surrey
Photo: Neil and Myra Usher