Pukeiti

Family: Ericaceae (Heath)

Synonym: Rhododendron grande × R. hodgsonii

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Life form: Tree - evergreen

Comments: Habit: A slow growing, rounded spreading shrub or small tree which reached 3 - 12 m tall and just as wide if there is space.
Foliage: Leathery leaves which are usually shiny above but can have a think layer of tomentum initially.The undersides are woolly and the appearance can be light brown, rust coloured, fawn or silvery. Very distinctive growth buds which are pointed or conical and have leaf scales tapering to long tails which stand above the bud. The whole bud is covered in greyish tomentum.
Flowers: The colour is variable from pink to purple, cerise, pinky lilak or crimson, with or without a dark blotch and usually fading with age. The trusses can be compact or quite open. A long flowering season which can spread over three months - September to November in the southern hemisphere.
Notes: This is a natural hybrid (grande x hodgsonii) named for the wife of the collector, Des Hayes, who supplied plant and seed material to Pukeiti. Not readily available in New Zealand.