Rhododendron exasperatum Tagg

Sponsor

Kindly sponsored by
Peter Norris, enabling the use of The Rhododendron Handbook 1998

Credits

New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron exasperatum' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-exasperatum/). Accessed 2024-10-10.

Genus

Rhododendron
Subsect. Barbata

Other taxa in genus

Glossary

References

Royal Horticultural Society (1997). The Rhododendron Handbook 1998

Credits

New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.

Recommended citation
'Rhododendron exasperatum' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhododendron/rhododendron-exasperatum/). Accessed 2024-10-10.

The brick-red flowers of Rhododendron exasperatum arranged in a dense truss of 10–15, each measuring 35–45 mm (Park Wood, Hergest Croft, Herefordshire, UK – 6th Feb 2022). Image Rowan Griffiths.

Shrub or small tree, 2–5 m; bark smooth, reddish brown; young shoots and petioles densely covered with gland-tipped bristles. Leaves 11–13.5 × 6–7.5 cm, broadly elliptic to obovate, apex and base rounded, upper surface with impressed veins, lower surface with gland-tipped stiff hairs or bristles. Flowers 10–15, in a dense truss, brick-red, with darker nectar pouches, tubular-campanulate, 35–45 mm; ovary densely stalked-glandular, style glabrous. Flowering April-May. Royal Horticultural Society (1997).

Distribution Myanmar Upper Burma China Tibet India NE

RHS Hardiness Rating H5

Conservation status Near threatened (NT)

A rare species that is difficult to cultivate. The newly flushed leaves are an attractive plum purple colour. Royal Horticultural Society (1997)

The plum-purple colour of the new foliage on Rhododendron exasperatum (Branklyn Garden, Perth, UK – May 2023). Image Audrey Tam.

The rich colour of the young foliage of Rhododendron exasperatum soon fades. Kingdon Ward 8250 at Baravalla, Argyll, UK. 27 May 2024. Image Tom Christian.

Rhododendron exasperatum Kingdon Ward 8250 at Baravalla, Argyll, UK, showing young shoots and petioles densely covered with gland-tipped bristles. 27 May 2024. Image Tom Christian.

Foliage on Rhododendron exasperatum from Tibetan source at Pinetum Blijdenstein Hilversum, The Netherlands – 15 October 2021. Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Branchlet with crowded obovate leaves on Rhododendron exasperatum (Pinetum Blijdenstein Hilversum, The Netherlands – 15 October 2021). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Remaining bud scales and stiff hairs on the stout shoot of Rhododendron exasperatum (Pinetum Blijdenstein Hilversum, The Netherlands – 15 October 2021). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Stiff bristly hairs on lamina lower surface and petiole of Rhododendron exasperatum (Pinetum Blijdenstein Hilversum, The Netherlands – 15 October 2021). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Leaves of Rhododendron exasperatum, varying from elliptic to obovate (Pinetum Blijdenstein Hilversum, The Netherlands – 15 October 2021). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Contact the editors at