Rhododendrons

Rhododendron kiusianum

Subgenus Tsutsusi Section Tsutsusi

Species evergreen azalea

Synonyms: Kyushu azalea, R. indicum var. amoenum, R. indicum var. japonicum, R. amoenum var. japonicum and R. obtusum f. japonicum

Epithet: from Kyushu, Japan

AM 1921, AGM (1954) 2002, AM 1977 (Benenden) to a white clone ‘Chidori’

H6

Low growing shrub, dense, much branched, sometimes almost prostrate, sometimes upright, 0.3-1m

Flowers: Trusses of 2-3 funnel-shaped, single flowers; 15-20mm long × 13-25mm wide; rose-purple, purple, red or pink and sometimes white

May

Not scented

Foliage: chartaceous, dimorphic; spring leaves are widely elliptic, ovate or obovate, 8-20mm long × 5-10mm wide; summer leaves are smaller, obovate, oblanceolate, elliptic or ovate, the uppermost ones are normally persistent through winter; in both leaf types the upper surface is glossy, dark green; the underside is paler; brown-strigose on both sides and the leaf margin. Evergreen or semi-evergreen

Distribution: Japan, 600 - 1600m

Other information: Shows great variation but generally excellent. Very floriferous and easy to grow. Suitable for small gardens. First introduced by Ernest Wilson (1918). Some forms are commercially available

There are numerous selected forms including R. ‘Komo Kulshan’ (Greer)