Rhododendron lanatum

Rhododendron lanatum (syn. Rhododendron flinckii), the woolly rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to the eastern Himalayas and southeastern Tibet.^[1] Occasionally found in commerce, it is a rabbit-tolerant evergreen shrub reaching 3–10 ft (1–3 m).^[2] Hardy in USDA zones 7 through 9, it is recommended as a hedge in partly shady situations.^[3]

Rhododendron lanatum
New growth is woolly
Botanical illustration
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Rhododendron
Species:	R. lanatum
Binomial name
Rhododendron lanatum Hook.f.
Synonyms[1]
Azalea lanata (Hook.f.) Kuntze Rhododendron flinckii Davidian

Its young shoots and leaves are covered with a white to tawny velvety wool, giving it its scientific and common names.^[3] May flowers are typically sulphur-yellow with maroon-spotted throats, and there is a cream-flowered morph.^[3][4]