Pukeiti

Family: Ericaceae (Heath)

Comments: Habit: Dense upright habit, grows to 4m x 3m.
Foliage: Striking dark leaved foliage. The undersides of leaves are rich cinnamon wool and can be seen from below.
Flowers: Slow to come into flower but the white flowers with a few dark spots are very dramatic against the dark leaves in early spring.
Further information: UK, seed 1849 from Sir J Hooker. Salley and Greer say it is a form of Rhododendron arboreum ssp. cinnamomeum but Peter Cox implies it is hardier than R. arboreum and survives where that species will not.