Rhododendron makinoi

Rhododendron makinoi, the Makino rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae that is native to Japan. It is a compact evergreen shrub growing to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall and broad, with woolly young shoots and long narrow curved leaves, heavily felted brown on the reverse. The flowers, borne in trusses in spring, are bell-shaped, deep pink in bud and opening pale pink, with red spots on the interior.^[1]

Rhododendron makinoi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Rhododendron
Species:	R. makinoi
Binomial name
Rhododendron makinoi Tagg ex Nakai

In cultivation in the UK Rhododendron makinoi has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[1][2] It is hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F) but requires a sheltered spot in dappled shade, and an acid soil enriched with leaf mould.