Emu Valley Newsletter – November 2022

• Date: 14th November 2022
• author: Maurie Kupsch

RHODODENDRON HYPERYTHRUM

Rhododendron hyperythrum is one of the few rhododendrons native to Taiwan. The species was first described by Hayata in 1913 from plants collected on Mt. Shichisei. Northern Taiwan growing to 2.5m in broad leaved forests.
R.hyperythrum was first introduced into western gardens by Lionel de Rothschild in the 1930s.

In cultivation it is usually a compact shrub to 1.5m high with oblong or lanceolate leaves with recurved margins, upper surface dark green, under surface pale green usually covered with minute spots and short hairs along the midrib, these leaves are retained for a number of years making for quite a dense shrub. The pink or white flowers are funnel- campanulate and present themselves in a formed truss comprising 7-12 flowers.

At Emu Valley Garden we have only one large plant in our Taiwan area growing rather well at the beginning of the Noel Sullivan walk across the roadway from the two birch trees Betula costata. The pure white flowers began to show themselves in mid-September.

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