Rhododendron 'BLUTOPIA'

Rhododendrons are reliable, beautifully flowering, evergreen shrubs of variable origin: S.W. China, Himalayas, Northern America, and even Europe. The original species were hybridized several times for better performance so in the 1950´s there were more than 10,000 cultivars registered, and the number keeps increasing.

Blutopia is a lovely rhododendron with large flowers. They are lavender violet with some lilac hues and rich reddish-brown blotch. They open in late May on the background of broad, evergreen leaves with deep red stalks. It grows upright, moderately fast into a shrub 1.4m tall and 1.2m wide in 10 years. Bred by Hans Hachmann in 1988 and 3 years later received Gold Medal at BUGA Dortmund.

For richer flowering and growth dead-head where possible. The roots are shallow, spreading to sides in search for nutrients. Never plant them too deep. The soil has to be acidic (pH 4.5-5.5), rich in humus, cool and always moist. Ideal soil mixture is peat with lime-free, light garden soil topped with leaf-mould. Hardy to about -27°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 15-02-2012