Rhododendron schlippenbachii commonly known as Royal Azalea has large, fragrant pink blooms in spring. This azalea also has purple-hued foliage in spring, turning velvet green in summer, and finally fading to yellow in autumn. Royal Azalea is an upright, densely branched, deciduous shrub that is native to Korea, Manchuria and Japan. It typically grows to 1.2 to 1.5 meters tall. There are 3 to 6 large, funnel shaped flowers per inflorescence. Flower colour ranges from pale pink to rose-pink or white, spotted red-brown on the 3 upper lobes. Flowers can be almost 8.75cm across. The fragrant flowers bloom in clusters at the branch ends in April to May as the leaves emerge. The leaves are arranged in distinctive whorls of 5 at the end of the branchlets. Autumn foliage turns attractive shades of yellow, orange or crimson. The plant is hardy to -32°C and prefers a less acid soil than most rhododendrons.