April Plant of the Month

April 2025

LATIN NAME: Rhododendron sutchuenense var geraldii

COMMON NAME: Szechwan Rhododendron

FAMILY: Ericaceae

TYPE: Evergreen shrub or tree

ORIGIN: W. China

LOCATION AT BLOEDEL RESERVE: Rhododendron Glen

GARDEN USES: Woodland Garden

FUN FACT: This stunning Rhododendron, a member of the subsection Fortunea, was once thought to be a hybrid between R. sutchuenense and R. praevernum. In recent years, there has been speculation that it is in fact a natural variation of R. sutchuenense. The genus name “Rhododendron” comes from the Greek words rhodon (rose) and dendron (tree), therefore translates to “Rose Tree”.