About Rhododendron simsii Planch.
Rhododendron simsii Planch. is a twiggy evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub that grows up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall. Its leaves are ovate, elliptic-ovate, obovate, or oblanceolate, and measure 1.5–5 cm long by 0.5–3 cm wide. Flowers of this species can be any color from white to dark red. Some varieties of Rhododendron simsii are poisonous, because they contain grayanotoxin. This species is common in Hong Kong, and is also distributed across areas south of the Yangtze River in China, as well as in Vietnam and Thailand. Its specific epithet simsii honors John Sims (1749–1831), who was the first editor of Magazine Botanique. This slightly tender species is quite rare in the West, though it is well known in Chinese gardens.
