This geographic form is much hardier than those found to the north in China and the Himalaya, with much larger leaves and can be grown in a sheltered spot in much of the UK, though excellent anywhere as a pot plant overwintered under cover. One of the most spectacular species, with huge funnel shaped richly-scented flowers, white flushed yellow within, in trusses of 3 to 9 in April-May, each flower up to 13cm long. Bark is a splendid deep-mahogany on a medium sized evergreen shrub. Foliage emerges crimson-purple and turns dark-green above and pale glaucous beneath.