Rhododendron weyrichii
Rhododendron weyrichii
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Rhododendron weyrichii is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant. Although cold-tolerant when dormant, the flowers and young growth of Rhododendrons are very susceptible to damage by late frosts in regions where these are likely to occur after new growth has commenced in the spring[1]. 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[2]. Prefers a peaty or well-drained sandy loam[2]. Succeeds in sun or shade, the warmer the climate the more shade a plant requires[1]. Requires a pH between 4.5 and 5.5[1]. 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[1, 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[1].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in a shady part of the greenhouse in late winter or early spring[4, 5]. Another report says that the seed is best sown in the autumn as soon as it is ripe[6]. Germination is variable and can be quite slow. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the pots on in a shady frame for 18 months before planting them out into their permanent positions[4]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Plant out in spring. Fair percentage[4]. Cuttings of mature wood, late autumn in a frame[5]. Layering in the autumn. Takes 12 months[4]. Division. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Rhododendron+weyrichii>
Pollinators
Bees, Insects
References
- [1]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.
- [2]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 ]).
- [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]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]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
- [6]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
- [7]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.
- [8]Flora of Japan — http://www.foj.info ↩︎An on-line version of the flora - an excellent resource.
- [9]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.