Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Rhododendron cilpinense
Cilpinense Rhododendron
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Height
- 2 to 4 ft
- Width
- 2 to 4 ft
- Flower color
- Pale to medium pink funnel-shaped flowers, sometimes with deeper pink shading in buds
- Foliage color
- Evergreen, glossy dark green leaves
- Bloom time
- Early to mid spring
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; requires minimal pruning beyond removing spent blooms
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees and other pollinators; evergreen foliage provides shelter for birds
About this plant
Rhododendron 'Cilpinense' is a compact evergreen shrub with a rounded habit and small, glossy green leaves. In early spring, often February into March, rosy buds open to pale to medium pink, funnel-shaped flowers that may fade as they mature. The blooms are carried in small trusses, so the plant can look dusted with soft color, with darker anthers giving a clean finish.
Of garden origin, it is linked with Lord Aberconway's Bodnant Garden in Wales and was introduced in the early 1920s. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the Award of Garden Merit. Its tidy structure and late-winter to early-spring flowering suit woodland borders, rock gardens, and prominent planting spots.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Borders · Containers · Rock Gardens
Companion plants
Sneezeweed · Barberry · Daisy bush · Blue-eyed grass · Bellflower · Glossy abelia
Design tip
Feature ‘Cilpinense’ where it can be seen from the house or along a frequently traveled path, making its unusually early flowers more noticeable. Its compact rounded form also works well among low evergreens that maintain a cohesive planting after flowering ends.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
