Percy Wiseman Rhododendron

A compact, well-branched evergreen shrub reaching 3 feet in 10 years and 4 to 5 feet at maturity. Funnel-shaped flowers, 2 inches wide, open cream flushed pale purplish-pink with moderate orange dorsal spotting, then fade to creamy white with a yellow throat, producing a multi-tone truss effect throughout bloom. Ball-shaped trusses of 13 to 15 flowers. Midseason bloom. A yakushimanum hybrid: (R. degronianum subsp. yakushimanum × 'Fabia Tangerine') selfed, bred by John Waterer (RHS 71).

The cream-to-pink-to-yellow color shift is one of the most distinctive flower displays among compact elepidote rhododendrons. Yakushimanum parentage contributes exposure tolerance and a tough constitution unusual for a plant this refined. Hardy to -5°F (Zone 7a-9a). Part shade to full sun on acidic, well-drained soil (pH 4.5-6.0). Slow growth; landscape-scale specimens take time to develop. Twenty-one diseases and 15 pests documented at the genus level. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic if ingested.