View Product Images R. rex R. rex R. rex

Price: No Price Availability: in stock Prod. Code: ac75-118_sl3187

rex ssp. arizelum see arizelum

rex  ssp. fictolacteum

Large erect evergreen shrubs or trees which can attain heights of up to 45 ft. in the wild.  The stout young branches are covered with a cinnamon-brown indumentum.  The impressive leaves are up to one foot in length, deep green and often shiny about with a thick reddish-brown indumentum beneath.  The white to pale rose flowers are borne in a large rounded inflorescence and typically have a crimson blotch and spots.  A beautiful and impressive species blooming in mid- to late spring.  One of the hardiest and most easily grown of the “big-leafs.”  A common species from 10,000 to 14,000 ft. in forests of W Yunnan, China, SE Tibet and N Upper Burma.  Occurs to the west of ssp. rex (with which it merges).

1975/158  (syn. fictolacteum)  R#84:FR  (-5).  Hardy form with white flowers.

1977/417  Puyallup Exp. Sta.  (-5).  Small tree of foot-long dark green leaves, coated beneath with orange-brown indumentum and trusses to scale of pink-to-white flowers marked purple.

1997sd317  (“var. miniforme”)  97ARS#504:RSBG  (-5\R1\5).  One of the hardiest and most attractive of the “big-leaf” species.  White to pale rose flowers in mid-spring.  Forms a small tree with red-brown indumentum on the undersides of the leaves.  Best in light shade.  A long-lived and magnificent plant.

rex ssp. rex

Large erect evergreen shrubs or trees which can attain heights of up to 45 ft. in the wild. The extremely attractive leaves are up to 18 inches long, shiny and deep green above with a thick gray to buff indumentum beneath. Many (up to 30) flowers in a large inflorescence in various colors, ranging from white to pale lilac, pale pink and mauve-pink, with a crimson blotch and spots. A beautiful and impressive species blooming in mid- to late spring. In my opinion, one of the finest species in the genus with great foliage, beautiful flowers and very good hardiness for a “big-leaf”. Common from 10,000 to 12,000(?)ft. in SW Sichuan and N Yunnan, China where it often forms pure forests.

1975/118  R#18234(03800):Windsor  (0).  An Award of Merit form, 1955.

1976/181  RBG  (-5).

1993sd112  RSBG  (0 to –5?)\R1\6).  Seedlings from 76/181 (RBGE form) x 75/118 (‘Quartz’ an AM (1955) clone from R#18234). 

1993sd333  SICH#1037-QUA  (0 or –5?).  Seedlings grown from seed collected at 11,700 ft. in Muli County, Sichuan, China.  Beautiful large leaves and white to pink flowers.

1996sd364  SEH#014:RSBG  (-5\R1\5).  Large evergreen shrubs or small trees with impressive leaves up to one foot in length.  The indumentum on the underside is a gray-brown.  Large trusses of white flushed pink flowers in mid-spring.  One of the hardiest of the “big-leaves.”  My own collection from 10,650 ft. in S Sichuan, China with a white indumentum covering the new growth and buds.  Absolutely beautiful.

2000sd134  RSBG  (-5\R1\5).  In my opinion, the best all-around big-leaf for the typical gardener on the west coast of North America.  Large attractive leaves up to 18 inches long with a thick gray to buff indumentum beneath.  Large flowers of white to pale pink or mauve-pink with a crimson blotch or spots.  These seedlings are grown from a controlled cross between 1976/181 (RBG Edinburgh) and 1975/118 (the AM form ‘Quartz’ from R#18234).