Rhododendrons

Rhododendron nakaharae

Subgenus Tsutsusi Section Tsutsusi

Species evergreen azalea

Epithet: after the Japanese collector G. Nakahara

AM1970 (Hydon) to the clone 'Mariko', AGM (2002) 2012 to 'Mount Seven Star'

H6

Much branched prostrate shrub growing to 0.1-0.5m in height

Flowers: Trusses of 1-3 funnel-shaped, single flowers, 20mm long × 30-34mm wide; red, scarlet or orange with inconspicuous purple spots

June-August

Not scented

Foliage: monomorphic, chartaceous leaves; lanceolate, elliptic or elliptic-obovate; 3-12mm long × 2-5mm wide; upper surface dark green, strigose, margin bristly; underside pale green, strigose. Evergreen

Distribution: Taiwan 350-2300m

Other information: Recognise by late flowering and the flower colour; the prostrate habit; the tiny leaves dark, shining and strigose with silvery hairs. Difficult to distinguish from some of the nakaharae hybrids out of flower, but it is more prostrate than most of these and the leaves are generally smaller. Introduced from Japan to RBG Edinburgh in 1941, from seed sent by Hiranuma. Easy to grow given reasonable drainage. Selected forms are commercially available