Large evergreen shrubs or small trees with an upright, well-branched habit and beautiful exfoliating reddish to purple bark. The dark green leaves typically have a bristly petiole and are quite attractive against the colorful flowers and bark. The brilliant red to crimson or scarlet flowers (very early to mid-spring) are in a dense round inflorescence. Easy in cultivation and spectacular in a woodland setting.A widespread and common species in the Himalayas where it occurs in various habitats from 8,000 to 12,000 ft.
1964/026WindsorGreatPark(0).
1964/027WGP(+5).Fire engine-red flowers.
1965/304CRA(0 to +5\R1\5).Long-lasting deep red flowers in early spring.One of our finest forms.
1970/018WW(+10).Deeply impressed leaf veins create a bold foliage effect.
1970/049CS(0).A form with pure red flowers.
1975/253A. C. U. Berry(0).Typically early and frost-resistant, the flowers of this selection are the deepest pure red and the most freely-produced of the several large specimens which are now a feature at Portland’s BerryBotanic Garden.
1978/043BAR:PHET (+5).Flowers red.
1992/029BB#8808:Berg (0 to +5\R1\4).This clone grown from seed collected by Warren Berg at 11,420 ft. in Bhutan.
1995sd150(+5\R1\6).Seedlings from 75/253 (ACU Berry form) x 65/304 (Crarae form – also one of our finest).
1997sd493SEH#506:RSBG(0 to +5\R1\4).Beautiful smooth and exfoliating reddish bark, attractive foliage and bright red flowers in early spring.My own collection from 10,700 ft. in the West Bengal Himalaya, India.
1997sd498SEH#511:RSBG(0\R1\5).Round clusters of intense scarlet flowers in early spring.Deep green leaves and stunning smooth purplish bark.My own collection from Sandakphu in West Bengal, India at 10,900 ft.A great all-around rhododendron.Best in light shade.
1997sd512SEH#5226:RSBG(0 to +5\R1\4).My own collection from 9,850 ft. in the Sikkim Himalaya.
1997sd532SEH#546:RSBG(0 to +5\R1\4).My own collection from 11,100 ft. in the Sikkim Himalaya.
