View Product Images R. argyrophyllum

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argyrophyllum

An attractive and extremely variable species with numerous subspecies.  Some of these merge in the wild and are often barely distinguishable from one another.  The typical species forms a large shrub or a small tree with leaves smooth above and a thin compacted white to silvery or fawn indumentum beneath.  The flowers (mid- to late spring) are white to deep rose, often with some spots.  Long-lived, hardy and easy in cultivation, this species is lovely as a specimen plant or in the woodland garden.  Native to China (Sichuan, NE Yunnan, S. Shaanxi, W. Hubei and Guizhou) where it occurs in forests and on rocky slopes from 5,000 to 12,700 ft.

1970/354  Wakehurst  (0).  Airy large shrub with light green leaves, indumented below and flowers white, flushed rose with deeper pink spots.  AM 1934.

1976/263  W#4276:Windsor  (0).  Floriferous shrub to approximately 8’ in the original 70 year old plant in England with soft pink trusses and leaves dusted chalky white below.

1996sd404  SEH#055:RSBG  (-5\R1\6).  Grown from seed collected wild at 10,300 ft. in the Daliang Shan of Sichuan Province, China.  In this area the plants were probably all referable to ssp. argyrophyllum and grew as trees up to 25 ft. in height.  I did not see them flower.

argyrophyllum ssp. argyrophyllum

Shrubs or small trees to 25 feet.  Flowers mid-to late spring) are white, white flushed rose, pink, or rose, often with purple flecks.  Leaves with a dense white, silver or fawn indumentum.  Grows on open slopes and in forests and tickets from 6,500 to 11,500 ft. in China (Yunnan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi).

1964/138  COR  (0 or-5?).  Light green leaves covered beneath with silvery white felted indumentum.  Flowers light pink.

1970/354  Kew  (0).  Airy large shrub with light green leaves, indumented below and flowers (May) white flushed rose with deeper pink spots.  An Award of Merit form.

1976/003  CAP  (0).  Deep pink flowers with darker flecks on upper lobe.

1977/654  (argyrophyllum var. cupulare)  W#4275:WIND  (0).  Silvery white felted indumentum and late season cup-shaped light pink flowers.

argyrophyllum ssp. hypoglaucum

Rounded evergreen shrubs with very attractive foliage.  The leaves are deep shiny green above with a “plastic” look.  The lower surface, in contrast, has a very shiny white glaucous coating.  White to deep rose flowers in mid-spring.  This subspecies differs from ssp. argyrophyllum only in botanical details.  Specifically in that the ovaries and pedicels of ssp. hypoglaucum are glandular whereas those of ssp. argyrophyllum are without glands.  Native to E Sichuan and W Hubei, China from 5,000 to 9,000 ft.

1973/139  Frye:WW  (0).  White flowers flushed rose in May.

1975/067  (hypoglaucum)  Wakehurst  (0).

1980/119  REU:HERG  (-5\R1\4).  This clone forms an amazing rounded mass of glossy dark green foliage.  Ideal as a specimen plant with foliage completely covering the plant from the ground up.

argyrophyllum ssp. nankingense

This subspecies differs from ssp. argyrophyllum in having larger flowers and a shinier and more rugulose (deeply impressed veins) upper leaf surface.  Native to the Fanjim Shan of Guizhou Province, China where it occurs around 7,500 ft

1964/014  ‘Chinese Silver’  WIND  (-5\R1\4).  Clear pink flowers on this 1957 AM clone.

1973/008  SUN:CHP  (-5).  Deep pink flowers with crimson spots.

1975/016  ‘Chinese Silver’  Hillier  (-5\R1\4).  A superb selection of an easy and beautiful species.  The attractive foliage is dark and shiny green with impressed veins, pure white on the leaf undersides.  Clear rose-pink flowers in mid-spring on the 1957 AM form.

argyrophyllum ssp. omeiense

Evergreen shrubs 10 to 16 ft., with smaller and narrower leaves than the type species.  Also has a darker indumentum on the underside of the foliage.  Recently introduced from Sichuan, China where it is common on Mt. Omei at 6,000 ft. growing along wooded ravines.

1979/155  HU#8189:UWA  (0).  White flowers in April or May.