Pukeiti

Family: Ericaceae (Heath)

Synonym: Rhododendron 'French Vanilla' (Vireya)

Life form: Shrub - evergreen

Comments: Habit: shrub 1.2 × 1.0m in 5 years.

Foliage: elliptic, 100 × 60mm, margins flat, glossy green above, with mid brown scales.

Flowers: 7 flat, open truss, funnel-shaped, 75 × 60mm, with 5 flat-edged lobes, pale gold in bud, opening
inside pale yellow, shading to brilliant yellow at base, outside pale yellow; unmarked. Calyx 2mm long, greenish yellow.

History: R. ‘Solar Flare’ (s) X crassifolium. Hybridised by R. Currie (1998). Grown to first flower and named by R.Currie (2001). Introduced and Registered by D. & P. Brown (2003).