The Rhododendron species collection

Lepidote species, i.e. with leipidote (scale) hairs on the underside of their usually small leaves. They are low-growing mountain plants, often with blue-violet flowers.

The type species, R. ferrugineum, on which Linnaeus based his name is located here.

Elepidote species, i.e. without scale hairs. These are the larger, evergreen shrubs that most people perceive as the actual rhododendrons. They have leaves that are usually hairy on the underside and the flowers are often white or pink.

Mainly deciduous shrubs, most often with flowers in reddish orange or yellow. This group consists of six subgenera, of which we can only present four. They are relatively distantly related to each other and do not constitute a systematic unit as the popular term azalea suggests. About 500 species are found in cultivation, but several of these are not hardy enough to be grown outside here.