Rhododendron
Rhododendron: Available in compact 3 to 4' varieties all the way to 25'. Very profuse bloomer cultivars available from zones 4 to 9
| Rhododendron | Shrub |
|---|---|
| Bloom Time | Varies |
| Light | Full Sun to Light Shade |
| Water | Well-drained, humus, acidic soil |
| Diseases | Powdery mildew, rust, blight, but blast |
| Pests | Whiteflies, aphids, weevils, leafhoppers, scale, caterpillars, lace |
| Propagation | Plant seed; layer or divide; semi-hardwood cuttings |
| Color | Pink, Red, White, Yellow |
| Height | 3 - 25 feet tall |
| Zones | 4-9 |
| pH Range | 4.5 - 5.5 |
| Tolerances | drought, pollution, slope, wind, deer |
Rhododendron
Rhododendrons are hard to beat if you are looking for plants that can be totally covered with blooms.
There are between 500 and 900 species of evergreen and deciduous plants in the Rhododendron genus, and Azaleas fall into this category.
We will cover the Azaleas in an upcoming article because that geniuses is so large as well.
The evergreen rhododendron is characterized by medium to long, elliptical leaves and large, clustered, trusses of, late, showy, spring to early summer flowers,
Flower color can range from red, pink, white, lavenders, purples and even yellow and orange.
The bush form may be low and mounding to gangly and almost tree-like with age.
All rhododendron love well-drained, acid soil and should be planted high, preferably on raised beds.
Even though it is listed that they can be planted in full sun, I have never had good success in doing that. Partial shade is preferable.
In general, the evergreen rhododendron tends to do better in cooler areas of zone 7 and lower, thriving in the Appalachian Mountains and the Pacific Northwest.
Rhododendron
Rhododendron can be propagated by seed, layering or plant divisions.
Do your layering and divisions in the spring, semi-hardwood cuttings hardwood cutting should be rooted in late summer.
Foundation plantings, shrub border plants. They can also be used as background plants or an intermediate level plant if you select the right variety.
Tall varieties can be used as either background plants or specimen as stand alone trees.
There are so many Rhododendrons available that you can use them for any type of garden, whether it is a shrub border, rock garden, woodland garden or even planted in containers.
Rhododendron
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Rhododendron 'Blue Diamond: is a dwarf evergreen rhododendron that bears violet-blue flowers. It grows 5 feet tall and wide. Zones 7-9
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Rhododendron 'Capistrano': is a compact, mounding selection, to 4 feet tall and wide, bearing trusses of frilled greenish-yellow flowers. Zones 6-8
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Rhododendron 'Hydon Dawn: is one of the few rhododendrons that tolerates full sun. It has a low, compact habit to 5 feet tall and wide and bears clusters of small, clear pink flowers that fade to white. Zones 7-9
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Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla': is a large evergreen shrub that bears trusses of deep red flowers with spotted throats. It grows 5 to 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-8
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Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt': is an evergreen selection that produces small trusses of deep peach-pink flowers. The leaves redden in fall. It grows to 4 feet tall and wide. Zones 4-8
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Rhododendron 'Sun Chariot': is an upright, dense-growing spring-blooming variety that grows 6 feet tall and wide. It bears yellow blooms with orange blotches in large clusters. Zones 6-9
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Rhododendron 'Trude Webster:) forms a compact, upright plant with clustered, clear pink flowers. It grows 5 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-9
Rhododendron
If you have established plants, they can benefit greatly from fertilization. Plan of fertilizing the small tree variety once every few years. Shrubs should be fertilized on a yearly basis.
Be sure to make a soil test to determine nutrient levels in the soil. Simply add the nutrient(s) that is low to bring the soil to ideal levels.
Remember High Nitrogen (N) fertilizers will promote green leafy growth at the expense of flower bud development.
Also, do not fertilize too late in the year. You will want to avoid a flush of new foliage that does not get a chance to harden off prior to the first frost.
