Rhododendron orbiculare

Rhododendron orbiculare, the round-leaved rhododendron^[1] (Chinese: 团叶杜鹃; pinyin: tuányè dùjuān),^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae that is native to forests and slopes at an elevation of 1,400–3,500 m (4,600–11,500 ft) in northeastern Guangxi and southwestern Sichuan, China. It is a compact evergreen shrub growing to 3 m (9.8 ft) tall and broad, with matt-textured round leaves and trusses of deep pink flowers in spring.^[1]

Rhododendron orbiculare
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Rhododendron
Species:	R. orbiculare
Binomial name
Rhododendron orbiculare Decne.

In cultivation in the UK Rhododendron orbiculare has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[1][3] It is hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F) but like most rhododendrons it requires a sheltered spot in dappled shade, and an acid soil enriched with leaf mould.