Rhododendron formosum var formosum
"Under the eaves, conferring drowsily,
Doves droop or amble; the agile waterfly
Wrinkles the pool: & flowers, gay & dun,
Rose, bluebell, rhododendron, one by one,
The buccaneering bees prove busily."
-George Herbert Clarke
(1873-1953)
(1873-1953)
Rhododendron formosum is native of Northeast India, at elevations of about 2,000 feet in the Himalayas, frequently in stony ground. The name "formosum" means "beautiful" rather than Formosa/Taiwan, although another species-rhody, the similarly named R. formosanum is named for its native island.
The first publication of information about this species was in Nathaniel Wallich's Plantae Asiaticae Rariores (1830-1832) wherein is recounted the collection of a specimen in India by a certain Mr. Smith in 1815.
It was long regarded as a hothouse rhody unsuited for the open garden, until someone actually attempted it & found the species tougher than supposed, hardy for zones 7 & 8. Even though it can be tender in heat or cold (it does not like sustained temperatures below ten degrees Fahrenheit), it has a complete liking for the moderate climate of the Puget Sound region.
This little species-rhody is a 1993 recipient of the Award of Garden Merit. Wide-open trumpet-flowers are white with flushes of apricot or pink, with one, two, or up to six six inflorescences per truss.These are large, deep trumpets for such a small shrub with medium-small leaves. They start out as well-colored buds but by the time the trumpets are fully opened, they are mainly white.
This shrub has bristled mature evergreen leaves & bristled young branches. It can be damaged by very cold winters, but for summers it is a little more heat-hardy than average, & likes full sun.
Most sources say this shrub is very fragrant, others say it is non-fragrant, so it may be quite variable for R. formosum var formosum, although a form with a yellow blotch, R. formosum var inaequale is reliably redolent. I could detect no particular scent from the young specimen at SinLur Gardens.
Flowering time tends to be in May but it has a bit of a range (April to June) depending on strain. SinLur's specimen began blooming late in April.
Its ten-year height is six feet. It has an open, upright habit, somewhat compact in bright shade or sunlight, but lanky if grown in too much shade.