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Formerly R. tomentosum 

diversipilosum ssp. subarcticum

Dwarf evergreen shrubs with extremely small and almost needle-like narrow leaves to one inch long.  This prostrate little shrublet is a perfect plant for the rock garden, bog or in a trough.  The small rounded clusters of white flowers appear in early to mid-spring.  An extremely hardy and attractive dwarf species.  Best in full sun with a moist soil but adaptable to normal rhododendron conditions, light shade probably better in dryer situations.  A circumboreal subspecies with an extensive range throughout the boreal portions of the northern hemisphere.  Occurs in a wide variety of habitats.

1997/089  GRN  (-25\R2\1).  Extremely choice.  This plant draws the immediate attention and admiration of everyone who sees it.

2000sd313  SEH#1600:RSBG  (-30\R1\1).  These are striking plants grown from my collection of seed at 2,340 ft. in the mountains near Anchorage, Alaska.

RSBG  These are striking plants grown from seed collected wild in NE Asia. The leaves are so extremely narrow  that the plant looks like a dwarf roxieanum var. oreonastes. Appears to be an intermediate between var. subarcticum (very narrow leaves) and var. tomentosum (larger upright habit).  (?30\R1\3)  RSBG#2003/179

diversipilosum ‘Milky Way’

The best form of this species I have ever seen, Rhododendron ‘Milky Way’ is a superior selection of a species formerly included in the genus Ledum (as Ledum palustre). Recently, the genus Ledum was “lumped” into the genus Rhododendron, adding six species to this already massive and variable group. ‘Milky Way’ covers itself with rounded trusses of pure white flowers in mid-spring. While each individual saucer-shaped flower is relatively small, each truss is composed of six or seven individual trusses containing up to 20 flowers each. A full-grown plant will ultimately reach about three feet in height with a five-foot spread, well-branched, with foliage to the ground. The attractive evergreen foliage is deep green with a reddish brown, woolly indumentum on the lower surface and young stems. ‘Milky Way’ is a tough and adaptable plant but performs best in a moist organic soil in sun or light shade. Probably hardy to around -30° F. 

    1990/090  RSBG (-30\R1\3). A selected clone from the RSBG.  Round trusses of small pure white flowers in mid-spring.  Low-growing and rounded habit with red-brown indumentum on the stems and leaf undersides.  Best results in a sunny location with a moisture-retentive, organic soil. Will tolerate wet soils.  A fantastic plant for almost any garden.

diversipilosum affinity

Dwarf bushy evergreen shrubs with a glandular and long reddish brown woolly indumentum on the stems.  The linear to narrowly elliptic leaves have a strongly recurved margin and are covered with a dense woolly brownish indumentum on the underside.  The small white flowers (mid-spring to early summer) are borne in a dense rounded inflorescence.  An extremely hardy, widespread, variable and floriferous species.  Tolerant of fairly exposed sites and wet soils.  Formerly included in the genus Ledum which has recently been “sunk” into Rhododendron  Native to bogs, coniferous forests and similar boreal habitats in N Europe and N Asia.

   1996sd127  (“Ledum angustum”)  JJH#9510172:RSBG  (-35?\R1\3).  Grown from seed collected wild at 7,900 ft. in the Altai Mountains of S Siberia and Mongolia.  Extremely narrow leaves on this taxon which is still in taxonomic limbo.  Collected from “tiny shrublets with white fragrant flowerheads.”  The first introduction.