What plant is the Mao Azalea? Let us introduce you to Rhododendron pulchrum

Scientific name: Rhododendron pulchrum

Common name: Rhododendron pulchrum

Family and genus: Ericaceae, Rhododendron genus

Main characteristics:

Evergreen shrub, up to 2 m tall, sparsely branched, young branches densely covered with light brown flat appressed hairs.

Leaves papery, dimorphic, elliptical to elliptically lanceolate or oblong-obovate-lanceolate, 2.5-5.6 cm long, 8-18 mm wide, apex acute, with a mucronate tip, base cuneate, initially with scattered yellow sparse appressed hairs, later nearly glabrous above; petiole 4-6 mm long, with the same hairs as on the branches.

Flowers 1-3, terminal at the branch tips; pedicel 6-12 mm long, densely covered with slightly spreading reddish-brown flat hairs; calyx large, 5-parted, lobes about 8 mm long, margins finely serrate and long-ciliate, outside densely covered with the same hairs; corolla broadly funnel-shaped, about 6 cm across, lobes 5, broadly ovate, rose-purple, with deep purple spots; stamens 10, filaments pubescent in the lower part, ovary densely hispid, style glabrous. Capsule oblong-ovate, about 8 mm long, hispid and with persistent calyx.

Traditional cultivars include 'Yu Hudie', 'Zi Hudie', 'Liuqiu Hong', 'Yu Ling', and others.

Origin:

Cultivated in various places; it is said to be native to China, but no wild plants have been seen.