Rhododendron 'PAINTED PURPLE'

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.

After a huge success with bi-coloured rhododendrons Hachmann Nursery in Germany comes with another gem called Painted Purple. Its large flowers have frilled, rich purple red margins. The throat is almost white decorated with a fantastic curry yellow blotch. Blooming begins in the first decade of May and continued by the end of the month. Evergreen leaves are leather, thinner, broadly elliptic, mid green, and not very glossy. The shrub get wider than tall with age and remains reasonably compact. It was bread by the team Bernd Wickhorst, and introduced in 2016.

For a better looking plant 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. It is hardy to min. -23°C (USDA zone 6) but it is expected to take stronger frost.

Last update 24-06-2018