Article Copied from the American Rhododendron Society Blog

Print date: 11/2/2024

"A" is for Rhododendron albrechtii

15 August 2013 @ 09:28 | Posted by Norma

I keep a wish list of rhododendrons I want, and at the moment, the species R. albrechtii is included in the top three of my list.  I grew it in my old garden, but sadly, when I moved, it was one of the plants I had to leave behind.  I haven't found a replacement plant for sale yet, but I keep looking, and after all, the hunt is almost as much fun as growing the plant.  I may have to break down and order some seed of this species as it's not commonly available in the trade as established plants.

R. albrechtii
photo by Tijs Huisman

Why do I like it so much?  Well, in bloom it's such a sweetheart!  The plant I grew had deep cerise-pink flowers, two or three to a cluster, and each flower was almost 2 inches across in size.  In doing a bit of internet searching, I see other growers report floral colours ranging from the deep rosy pinks into the purple reds, and up to 5 flowers per cluster.  In the Pacific Northwest, R. albrechtii usually blooms in mid to late April.

The plant, native to Japan, is a deciduous azalea, and the leaves on my "old" plant turned a lovely yellow before they dropped in the fall.  I'm not sure if fall leaf colour is a constant for all albrechtii plants, but it's nice when it happens.  I had my plant situated on the north side of the house, but it got good light from mid-afternoon on into the evening.  It prefers areas with cooler summer temperatures, so avoid planting sites that receive hot temperatures and mid-day sun.  The usual recommendation of even soil moisture applies.  Plants grow to a height of about 4 feet, so R. albrechtii is a good choice for the small garden, or even a large container.  It's also a good choice for woodland plantings. Do keep an eye out for this great little plant – it should be on everyone's wish list.