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Ericaceae FAMILY

Rhododendron adamsii

Rhododendron adamsii

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Rhododendron adamsii is native to the cold temperate zone of northern Asia where it can experience winter temperatures down to -30°c or lower. Rhododendron species generally succeed when grown in a non-compacted, humus rich lime free soil and a position with some shade, preferably light woodland shade. They strongly dislike soils of a dry arid nature, heavy soils or clays[1]. Prefers a peaty or well-drained sandy loam[1]. Succeeds in sun or shade, the warmer the climate the more shade a plant requires[2]. Requires a pH between 4.5 and 5.5[2]. Rhododendron species are mainly woodland species that grow well in the dappled shade and shelter given by the other woodland plants. They are surface-rooting species with a fibrous root system, however, and do not grow well close to trees that are also surface-rooting, nor do they do well with ground cover or other small plants growing over or into their roots[2, 3]. Plants form a root ball and are very tolerant of being transplanted, even when quite large, so long as the root ball is kept intact[2].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn and given artificial light. Alternatively sow the seed in a lightly shaded part of the warm greenhouse in late winter or in a cold greenhouse in mid spring. Surface-sow the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry[2]. Pot up the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter. Layering in late July. Takes 15 - 24 months[4]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Rhododendron+adamsii>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
  4. [4]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  5. [5]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  6. [6]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.