Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Rhododendron 'Saffron Queen'

A half-hardy evergreen shrub to about 1.2m high, with an upright, open habit and narrowly elliptic, glossy green leaves with brown scales on the undersides. Produces clusters of 8-9 funnel-shaped, butter yellow flowers with paler edges and darker speckles on the upper petals, in mid to late spring

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises) Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Rhododendron can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple leaves, sometimes with a dense colourful indumentum of hairs on the lower side, and funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular flowers that may be solitary or in short racemes
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

In mild, frost-free areas, may be grown outdoors in a sheltered position, in moist but well-drained, humus rich, acidic soil. Position in partial or dappled shade, and add an annual organic mulch (ideally leaf mould). In colder areas, this cultivar is best grown under glass in ericaceous compost. See rhododendron cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, by layering in autumn, or by grafting in winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders

Pruning

Minimal pruning required, see pruning group 8 (evergreens)

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron and azalea whitefly, rhododendron leafhopper, Pieris lacebug, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, honey fungus, silver leaf and Phytophthora, as well as more specific Rhododendron diseases

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.