Most Vireya Rhododendron species are tall and straggly, they are grown for their brightly coloured, sometimes fragrant flowers. They tend to be used to add colour to a woodland setting.
The plants originate from cool mountainous regions of SE Asia. There are epiphytic and terrestrial species, the terrestrial varieties tend to grow much larger than the epiphytic varieties.
Many will tolerate cool climates but will not tolerate frosts. There are varieties that will tolerate warmer temperatures, these tend to have larger, shiny leaves and will grow in temperatures up to 27C and slightly higher in humid conditions.
The flowers vary in shape, colour and length of flowering season but are generally simple and single flowered.
The leaves are lanceolate in shape with scales on the underside.
Many hybrids have a denser more compact form and are suitable for smaller gardens. These include Rhododendron vireya 'Uluru' which was bred in Australia and Rhododendron vireya 'Scarlet O'Hara' and Rhododendron vireya 'Kisses' which were bred in New Zealand.