Leggy, open-growing evergreen shrubs with attractive exfoliating reddish-brown bark. The large and fragrant, openly funnel-bell-shaped flowers appear in mid- to late spring. They are an incredible pure white or white flushed with pink, often with an orange or yellow stain at the base. A fantastic species in flower and rated by many as one of the most beautiful flowers in the genus. Requires extremely well-drained soil. Not fully hardy in the Seattle area but worth attempting in a sheltered position. Also good in containers but can be a bit straggly so frequent pinching for the first couple of years is recommended. Occurs as an epiphyte or on cliffs in the eastern Himalayas from 6,000 to 11,000 ft. Perhaps my favorite species, definitely in the top three.
1978/067 L&S#6562:Cox:WEB (+15). The hardy form of this very fragrant large white flowered Himalayan native.
1984/060 ‘Geordie Sherriff’ Brodick (+5\R2\5). A relatively hardy selection of this choice species. Large and fragrant, tubular-funnel-shaped flowers of white flushed with deep rose on this AM form. Excellent drainage.
1997sd227 RSBG (+5\R2\5). These are seedlings grown from seed reproduced from a controlled-pollinated cross here at the RSBG. These are the famous Grothausii Group which is hardier but has smaller flowers. The plant used for the cross is the AM form ‘Geordie Sherriff’ (our 1984/060 selfed). These should have pink flowers.
1997sd520 SEH#534:RSBG (+15\R2\5). A spectacular species with large fragrant pure white flowers in the shape of a trumpet lily. Grown from my collection of seed at 8,900 ft. in the Sikkim Himalaya. I collected this seed from plants in full bloom with large pure crystalline white flowers. Cutting-grown from the original seedlings. This species requires very well-drained soil. Fantastic!
