Massive, wide-spreading evergreen shrubs (forming a tree in the wild) with the largest leaves of any rhododendron.The awe-inspiring foliage of this species can reach up to almost three feet in length!The broadly elliptic to oblanceolate leaves are a dark glossy green on the upper surface with a thin and shiny, plastered, whitish to fawn indumentum on the lower surface.The large rounded inflorescence is composed of 30 or more flowers (early to mid-spring).These are white to pale yellow with a large crimson blotch.Best in light shade with plenty of supplemental water through the dry summer months.I grow one in a container for a striking specimen plant (well fed and watered) with massive leaves.Quite common and widespread from W Yunnan, China westward to N Burma, SE Tibet and E Arunachal Pradesh, India.Found in a variety of montane habitats but principally in forests from 7,000 to 11,000 ft.
BergRSBG(+10\R1\5).These are large plants donated by Warren Berg that were grown from seed produced by the hand-pollination of a plant known as “var. boreale” in his collection.
2000sd484BASE#9546:RSBG(+10 to +5\R1\5).My own collection from 7,900 ft. in the Biluoxue Shan of NW Yunnan.As with most big-leafs, the vast majority of sinogrande in cultivation are garden-origin hybrids from open-pollinated seed.These are pure, wild sinogrande.
2002/115 Glendoick.An outstanding foliage plant with the largest leaves of any species. Cream white flowers with a reddish blotch. Best in light shade. These are grown from a cross made by Peter Cox (SBEC# x Arduaine form).
