Large spreading evergreen shrubs that can eventually form small trees (especially in woodland conditions).The large leaves have a thin indumentum on the midrib beneath but are otherwise smooth.The large showy flowers (early spring are pale pink to lilac-pink, usually with some reddish spotting.This is an easily grown hardy species with nice foliage and beautiful flowers in the earliest of spring.Best in light shade or woodland conditions.This popular species can be a very long-lived addition to the landscape.Native to W Hubei and adjacent E Sichuan, China where it occurs in forests from 5,000 to 8,000 ft
1965/348Caerhays:UBC PP(0).A typical form of this handsome small tree.
1969/816CHP:MVW(-10).Flowers are white with pink and faint pink spotting.
1973/272Dr. Phetteplace(-10).Typical long narrow leaves and very early late-winter delicate pink flowers on this rugged shrub.
1975/192CS(-10).This plant typifies R. sutchuenense with its ten inch tapering lanceolate leaves and heavy shrub habit to 15 ft. or more, but the late winter flowers of light pink are blotched vivid reddish purple.
1977/205Van Veen Nursery(-15\R1\5).Lovely clear pale pink flowers with light maroon spotting on this form.Only a few.
1979/120'Seventh Heaven'Wilson#1232:BH(-10).Flowers white suffused reddish-purple.
1982/197AC(-10).
sutchuenense aff.
These are seedlings grown from seed collected at 5,130 ft. in the Dalou Shan region of northern Guizhou Province, China.The foliage is somewhat similar to that of sutchuenense but has not yet developed the characteristic floccose indumentum on the midrib beneath.This seed was collected south of the known range of sutchuenense from a large ten foot shrub growing in thick scrub and may be a range extension (new subspecies?) or a closely related taxon.
