A spreading semi-evergreen shrub to about 11⁄2 ft high, its short, whorled branchlets clad with appressed bristly hairs. Leaves ovate to lanceolate or oblanceolate, up to 3⁄4 in. long and 1⁄4 in. or slightly more wide, clustered at the ends of the branchlets, appressed-hairy on both sides, more so above. Flowers white, shortly stalked, borne in June in terminal umbellate clusters or sometimes solitary; bud-scales brown and papery. Calyx very small. Corolla tubular, about 3⁄8 in. long, and about 1⁄4 in. wide across the spreading five-lobed limb, downy on the outside, silky-hairy within. Stamens five, included. Fruit a capsule, resembling that of a rhododendron but with three-chambers only.
Native of Japan, confined to a few localities in Honshu; described by Maximowicz shortly after its discovery; introduced by Wilson in 1915. It is hardy and needs the same conditions as other ericaceous shrublets, but is one of the least interesting of these. It received an Award of Merit in 1965. Propagated by cuttings.