Felted new growth, cinnamon-brown indumentum, and white spring flowers. Visit eGardenGo for plant combinations that include Cinnamon Bear rhododendron.

Cinnamon Bear Rhododendron

Evergreen Shrub

'Cinnamon Bear' is a compact, slow-growing rhododendron grown for its foliage. New leaves emerge pale and felted. The narrow green leaves carry a dense cinnamon-brown indumentum on their undersides, and because each leaf stays on the plant for several years, the indumentum shows year-round. White flowers in spring are a bonus. It's a hybrid of Rhododendron bureavii and R. degronianum ssp. yakushimanum.

It has a rounded habit and stays compact, reaching roughly 2 to 3 feet in ten years. Give it part sun to part shade, ideally morning sun or filtered light, in rich, acidic, well-drained soil with regular, even moisture.

Growing Conditions

Zone: 7, 8, 9

Exposure: Part Sun, Part Shade, Filtered Sun, Morning Sun

Water Needs: Regular / Even

Soil: Acidic, Rich, Well-drained

Description

Size: 18 - 30 tall x 18 - 30 wide
Shape / Form: Rounded
Foliage Texture: Medium
Foliage Quality: Medium

Features: Attractive Foliage, Attracts Bees, Dwarf / Compact Plant, Flowers, Low Maintenance, Winter Interest, Year-round Interest

Foliage Color: Green, Bronze / Copper

Flower Color: White
Bloom Season: Spring


Uses and Applications

Landscape Uses: Mixed Border, Small Gardens, Specimen, Structure / Foundation
Special Situations: Courtyard / Urban Garden, Deer Resistant, Once-a-Year Maintenance
Wildlife: Bees, Deer Resistant

More Design Considerations

Season of Interest: Spring, Summer, Fall, Year-round Interest
Position / Role: front of border, mid-plane filler
Plant Behavior: Slow Growing

Care and Maintenance

Maintenance Level: low
Maintenance Tasks: Deadheading


Suitable Substitutes

Rhododendron 'Teddy Bear' | Teddy Bear Rhododendron

Perfect Partners

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Iceberg' | Iceberg Eastern White Cedar
Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance' | Brilliance Autumn Fern

Plant Combos

  • PNW Plant Combination Using Low Maintenance Shrubs

    Focus: Curb Appeal, Efficient Use of Space, Mixed Border, Pleasing Seasonal Flow, Small Space, Goofproof Maintenance, Privacy and Screening, Year-round Interest
    Exposure: Part Sun, Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade
    Zone: 6, 7, 8

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