From being ignored to achieving a group purchase transaction volume of over 600,000 yuan in a single event, and from the obscure name "Sheep Azalea" to best-selling varieties like "Pink Hydrangea" and "Magic Pink", the rise path of the decidroid rhododendron has become a model of "variety innovation + market operation" in China's horticultural industry.

In traditional perception, rhododendrons are mostly found in the form of evergreen shrubs or bonsai. However, in recent years, a new category called "deciduous rhododendron" (a horticultural variety of the native species Rhododendron amurensis) has rapidly gained popularity due to its revolutionary natural form and Internet celebrity attributes.

the left is the deciduous rhododendron 'Pink Hydrangea', and on the right is' Magic Pink '.

Behind the popularity: From "Moments" to a hit on Xiaohongshu, from naming optimization to data-driven

Liu Hongmei, the chairperson of Shandong Hongmei Horticultural Technology Co., LTD., said that she had been optimistic about the market potential of the deciduous rhododendron for many years.

More than ten years ago, when I was on an investigation trip to Germany, I was amazed by a rhododendron that bloomed without leaves and spread out naturally. I had seen many different forms of rhododendrons before, but this was the first time I had seen such a different one. I immediately decided to bring it back to China. Liu Hongmei recalled.

The rhododendron that Liu Hongmei saw in Germany was actually a horticultural variety of Rhododendron simsii. Because it has flowers but no leaves, this type of rhododendron was named deciduous rhododendron. After being introduced back to China, it was jointly promoted with Hongyue Flower.

With outstanding advantages such as strong heat resistance, cold resistance and rich flower colors, the deciduous rhododendron has gradually opened up the domestic market, attracting strong attention from a large number of flower enthusiasts and fans. The best-selling varieties have been snapped up. At present, Hongmei Horticulture has been promoting its brand through an integrated online and offline approach, enhancing brand exposure at horticultural exhibitions, on short-video platforms, and in cooperation with garden engineering projects. It has also highlighted its low maintenance and high adaptability features, attracting a large number of private garden users with its deciduous rhododendron.

At the 2025 Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden Alpine Rhododendron New Year's Flower Exhibition, the deciduous rhododendron 'Pink Hydrangea' takes the center stage.

Hongmei Horticulture's presentation at the 2025 Shanghai Garden Festival - "Owning a Garden" - utilized a large number of deciduous rhododendrons.

The garden display of the Deciduous rhododendron category at the 2025 World Garden Congress

The deciduous rhododendron products produced by Hongmei Horticulture at its Shandong base feature an extremely rich variety of flower colors.

Large deciduous rhododendrons were used in the 16th China Rhododendron Exhibition

The large-sized deciduous rhododendron 'Pink Hydrangea' launched by Hongmei Horticulture for the first time was in full bloom during the Spring Festival.

For the deciduous rhododendron products, we are gradually strengthening the research and development of new varieties. The goal is to cultivate varieties with strong disease resistance and longer flowering periods, and explore the "rhododendron + cultural tourism" model to create theme flower sea landscapes. At the same time, in line with the trend of home gardening, develop miniaturized and mini potted products to further expand the consumer market and boost the market sales of Rhododendrons. Liu Hongmei introduced.

Jiang Shengde, the chairman of Hongyue Flower, introduced that the company introduced and promoted the deciduous rhododendron in 2016, but the initial response was mediocre. Once, he posted a set of photos of the deciduous rhododendron he had taken at the company's Jiaxing store on his wechat Moments, which unexpectedly drew attention. In the photos, the deciduous rhododendron was in full bloom without leaves, and the spherical flower clusters were naturally spreading out, forming a sharp contrast with the traditional bonsai rhododendron.

The deciduous rhododendron 'Pink Hydrangea' from Hongyue Flower Jiaxing Store

Sun Lei, the product manager of Hongyue Flowers, introduced that 'Pink Hydrangea' is the company's first best-selling variety of deciduous rhododendron. It is named for its pink flowers and the flower shape resembling hydrangeas. This variety, after blooming, presents a very ethereal pale pink color in a diffused light environment. After the variety pictures were posted on platforms like Xiaohongshu, they quickly sparked heated discussions. Sun Lei said.

The deciduous rhododendron 'Pink Hydrangea' from Hongmei Gardening

In 2020, we positioned the deciduous rhododendron as a long-term sales project to "plant seeds" for consumers in advance. In 2022, the super-large deciduous rhododendron began to be sold online, and the transaction volume of a single group purchase exceeded 600,000 yuan. In the spring of 2025, this figure had climbed to 2.1 million yuan. Sun Lei said that the sales of Rhododendrons can reach 200,000 to 300,000 yuan in a single live-streaming session, which also boosts the sales of horticultural materials.

Sun Lei believes that the market popularity of the deciduous rhododendron can be maintained not only because of its three core selling points: natural form, pure flower appreciation, and blooming in a ball, but also due to its advantages such as repeated blooming, strong heat resistance, and simple maintenance. Since the popularity of "Pink Hydrangea", the company has continuously created best-selling varieties to enhance consumers' recognition.

Future Outlook: From the "piracy predicament" to international collaboration, from "Internet celebrity" to long-term popularity

Despite its outstanding market performance, the sudden popularity of the deciduous rhododendron has also exposed industry problems - the quality of domestic production varies greatly and the phenomenon of variety theft occurs frequently. In this regard, Liu Hongmei suggested establishing an industry alliance to regulate the market and drawing on the European standardized production model at the same time.

In recent years, Hongmei Horticulture has focused on launching its self-bred new variety of deciduous rhododendron, 'Fenrou', as well as introducing varieties such as' Saiya ', 'Magic Powder', and 'Jinyun', and has proposed application directions such as garden courtyards, miniaturized potted plants, and cut flowers. "Pinrou" is renowned for its soft and tender pink flowers and strong adaptability. The flowers are fragrant and bloom from April to May. This variety has outstanding cold resistance, capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -25℃. It prefers acidic soil and semi-shaded environments, making it suitable for planting in clusters in courtyards or as a combination in flower beds. It has the dual ornamental value of spring flowers and autumn leaves and is an excellent landscape shrub variety. Liu Hongmei introduced.

Red Plum Horticulture's self-bred new variety of deciduous rhododendron, 'Fenrou'

The deciduous rhododendron 'Saiya'

"Magic Powder" of the Deciduous Rhododendron

The 'Golden Melody' of the Deciduous Rhododendron

Rhododendron deciduous: 'Pure', 'Moon-tasting', 'Canon' (from left to right)

Rhododendron deciduous' Muming ', 'Golden Eagle', 'Sharp Edge' (from left to right)

To ensure the sustainable development of Rhododendron deciduous products, it is necessary to constantly screen and promote new varieties, and optimize the varieties through tests on cold resistance, reblooming ability, disease resistance, etc. At the same time, efforts should be intensified to develop varieties with independent intellectual property rights. Liu Hongmei said.

The success of the deciduous rhododendron has revealed a clear future development path: guided by consumer preferences (light colors, double-petal flower shapes), shortening the cognitive chain through localized naming and social media marketing, and maintaining the healthy development of the industry through standardized production and property rights protection.

"Bestsellers are not the end. Our goal is to transform the deciduous rhododendron from a 'seasonal consumer product' into a core plant in gardens." " Liu Hongmei said.