Planted six years ago, this Rhododendron is about halfway to its ultimate size.  It came from Glendoick, which is Scotland’s premier Rhododendron nursery (the rhodos named for birds and animals are bred by them).  R. ‘Viking Silver’ identifies it, but its full name is Rhododendron yakushimamum x pachysanthum ‘Viking Silver’.  Apart from that it is coming to be a real favorite.  The upper leaf surfaces have a soft silver powdery feel, like some primula, whilst the undersides have indumentum the texture of felt.  All this in spite of having had 4″ of rain dumped on it in the past week.  It is accompanied to either side by hellebores that have grown up from seedlings, and in front by Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’, and  some white-flowered Violas.

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