Pukeiti

Family: Ericaceae (Heath)

Distribution: China (west); Myanmar (north east)

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Life form: Tree - evergreen

Comments: Habit: Slow growing tall open tree or large shrub with grows to 15m tall in the wild. Generally smaller and more wide spreading in cultivation.
Foliage: Probably the most handsome foliage of all rhododendrons with massive, heavy, glossy leaves. htese are oblanceolate to elliptic, 20 - 70cm long (or sometimes even up to 90cm) by 10 x 30cm wide. They have deeply impressed veins fiving a wrinkled appearance. The undersides are covered with a silvery indumentum which is sometimes fawn in colour.
Flowers: Racemose umbel of 15 - 30 flowers with a waxy texture. Usually pale yellow or creamy white with a deep crimson blotch. The whole truss is very impressive in size and a shrub in full bloom is a memorable sight. Flowers from September - November in the Southern hemisphere.
History: This species occurs through western China, south east Xijang (Tibet), north Myanmar and east Arunachal Pradesh in India and has been collected in the wild on many occasions from many different locations and altitudes.
Cultivation: Hardiness is variable, depending on the altutude the original material was collected from. Plants need sheltered, moist conditions to be seen at their best, Susceptible to late frost, which damages both flowers and growth buds.