Smirnow Rhododendron
Rhododendron smirnowii
Ericaceae · broadleaf evergreen shrub · introduced
Last updated
An evergreen shrub native to northeast Turkey, reaching 3 feet in cultivation. Bright purplish-rose flowers. Valued for exceptional cold hardiness and distinctive silvery to fawn-colored indumentum on the leaf undersides and young shoots. A parent of the Finnish 'Pohjola's Daughter' and other cold-hardy hybrids.
An important parent species in cold-hardy rhododendron breeding, contributing extreme cold tolerance, compact habit, and indumentose foliage to hybrids like 'Pohjola's Daughter'. Acidic, well-drained soil. Twenty-one diseases and 15 pests documented at the genus level. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic if ingested.
Quick Facts
Root Colonization (Spring–Fall)
Infection at Bud Break
Apothecia Formation & Spore Release
Aecial Stage (Alternate Host)
+ 13 more — see full disease and pest lists below