''Rhododendron pachysanthum'' ( zh, s=, p=Táiwān shāndì dùjuān), the thick-flowered rhododendron, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the heath family Ericaceae, that is native to Taiwan. It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

shrub growing to tall and broad. This species is particularly noted for its leaves, which may be heavily felted on both surfaces, red above and brown beneath. In early spring, trusses of pale pink flowers appear, spotted crimson on the inner surface. In cultivation in the UK ''Rhododendron pachysanthum'' has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

’s Award of Garden Merit. It is hardy down to but like most rhododendrons it requires a sheltered spot in dappled shade, and an

acid soil Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...

enriched with leaf mould.

Synonyms

*''Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum'' Hayata *''Rhododendron'' f. ''rufovelutinum'' T. Yamazaki *''Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum'' var. ''rufovelutinum'' (T. Yamazaki) T. Yamazaki *''Rhododendron rufum'' Batalin var. ''pachysanthum'' (Hayata) S. S. Ying.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10914686 pachysanthum