Rhododendron kaempferi
| Rhododendron kaempferi | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 8' |
| Width: | 8' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rhododendron kaempferi
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn and given artificial light. Alternatively sow the seed in a lightly shaded part of the warm greenhouse in late winter or in a cold greenhouse in April. Surface-sow the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry[1]. Pot up the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter.
Layering in late July. Takes 15 - 24 months[2].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame. Difficult[2].
Cultivation: Succeeds in a most humus-rich lime-free soils except those of a dry arid nature or those that are heavy or clayey[3]. Prefers a peaty or well-drained sandy loam[3]. Succeeds in sun or shade, the warmer the climate the more shade a plant requires[1]. A pH between 4.5 and 5.5 is ideal[3].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[4], but are deciduous in cold climates.
Succeeds in a woodland though, because of its surface-rooting habit[1], it does not compete well with surface-rooting trees[3]. Plants need to be kept well weeded, they dislike other plants growing over or into their root system, in particular they grow badly with ground cover plants, herbaceous plants and heathers[1].
Plants form a root ball and are very tolerant of being transplanted, even when quite large, so long as the root ball is kept intact[1].
This species is closely related to R. indicum[1].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat: Open woods and scrub, sunny grassy hillsides and mountainsides to 1600 metres, all over Japan[5].
Edibility: Flowers - raw or cooked[6][7][8]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Leaves - boiled[6][7][8]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Usage: Plants can be grown as ground cover when spaced about 1 metre apart each way[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many members have poisonous leaves. The pollen of many if not all species of rhododendrons is also probably toxic, being said to cause intoxication when e
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.