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Ericaceae FAMILY

Rhododendron schlippenbachii

Rhododendron schlippenbachii

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Rhododendron schlippenbachii is native to the temperate zone in a region where summers are hot and dry whilst the winters can be very cold. It is very cold-tolerant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -30°c, but it requires a clear distinction between the seasons. In areas where there can be mild spells in winter, or cold spells in the spring, it will come into growth with the early warmth only for its flowers and young leaves to be destroyed by any subsequent frost[1]. Being an inhabitant of thin oakwoods in a region with hot and sunny summers, this species needs plenty of light and does not thrive in very acid soils. A light soil enriched with leaf-mould is better than a peaty one[1]. Succeeds in a woodland though, because of its surface-rooting habit[2], it does not compete well with surface-rooting trees[3]. Plants need to be kept well weeded, they dislike other plants growing over or into their root system, in particular they grow badly with ground cover plants, herbaceous plants and heathers[2]. 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+schlippenbachii>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  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]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 ]).
  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 China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  6. [6]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.