Rhododendron 'GORDIAN'

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.

Gordian is another jewel among yellow flowering rhododendrons bred by Hans Hachmann from Germany. It was introduced in 1990 and has large, wide-open funnel-shaped flowers. They are a mixture of sandy beige, golden yellow, and light orange colour. On a sunny afternoon the overall appearance is a warm yellow. Evergreen leaves are leathery, olive green, matte and somewhat undulated. Stalks of newly emerging foliage are rich red and the whole shrub looks very attractive even if not in bloom. It grows slowly into a compact shrub becoming wider than tall with age.

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 leave-mould. Hans Hachmann recommends a sheltered position for this hybrid and its estimated hardiness is about -20°C (USDA zone 6b).

Last update 24-05-2015