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Shrubs

Rhododendron 'Golden Eagle' (K)

rhododendron 'Golden Eagle'

A deciduous, upright to spreading shrub to 2.5m high, with mid-green foliage turning yellow in autumn. Clusters of up to 12 reddish-orange buds open to trumpet-shaped orange-yellow flowers in late spring

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or 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: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Spreading branched
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
Horticultural Group: Knap Hill and Exbury azaleas are vigorous deciduous shrubs with large, oblong leaves, and usually fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, orange, red and white, in mid and late spring

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil (ideally pH 4.5-5.5). Prefers light shade. See rhododendron cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

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

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, whitefly, rhododendron leafhopper, lacebugs, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to a range of rhododendron diseases including rhododendron bud blast and rhododendron petal blight, as well as powdery mildews, honey fungus, rust, leafy gall, silver leaf and Phytophthora root and shoot rots

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.