Rhodoleia championiiHong Kong Rose

Rhodoleia championii flowers in late winter, which in a subtropical scheme is exactly when nothing else does. Pendulous heads of rose-pink flowers hang beneath the branches, and because they face downwards they read best from underneath, which is how the tree is usually sited.

The foliage is a second reason to plant it: leathery leaves, glossy dark green above and a distinct blue-white beneath, flushing bronze-red on new growth.

Specifications

• Height5 to 12 metres, occasionally to 15 metres
• Width4 to 8 metres
• Native toSouthern China, including Hong Kong and Hainan, and northern South East Asia
• FoliageLeathery ovate leaves, glossy dark green above and glaucous blue-white beneath, bronze-red on new growth; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained acidic soils
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; keep evenly moist through establishment
• ClimateThrives in humid subtropical regions; young trees are tender to frost

Additional Features

• FlowersPendulous rose-pink flower heads carried beneath the branches in late winter and early spring
• UsesPark and campus specimens, courtyard planting, avenue work and botanic collections
• SpacingPlant 5 to 7 metres apart, or singly where the pendulous flowers can be seen from below
• Low MaintenanceLittle pruning needed; raise the crown only where clearance is required
• Pest ResistanceGenerally resilient in a suitable acidic soil
• Seasonal AppealWinter flowering, bronze-red new growth and a two-tone evergreen leaf
• Wildlife AttractionNectar-rich flowers draw birds through the cool season

The Hong Kong Rose is a winter-flowering evergreen specimen, best placed where the pendulous flower heads can be looked up into.