Rhododendron denudatum

An evergreen shrub or small tree, with long, elliptic, dark olive green leaves with deeply impressed veins. Leaves have a fine white felting when young; when fully developed they are smooth and slightly glossy on the surface, with fine, yellowish hairs on the undersides that eventually drop to show white underneath. Clusters of 8-10 bell-shaped flowers are produced in mid spring, in shades from rose pink to deep red, and with dark red speckles on the upper petals. Usually 2-3m tall, but some examples of this species can reach up to 6m high in ideal conditions