Rhododendron 'STICKY DANE'

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.

Sticky Dane is an extraordinary rhododendron from the Dane series put together in Sweden. This variety was propagated by Hachmann Nurseries in 1999, and developed by Swedish botanist and rhododendron enthusiast Svend Hansen from seeds of r.roxieanum ssp. globigerum collected in Chinese povince Yunnan in 1994. It produces snow white flowers with gentle dotting of rich red colour but they are quite rare.

Sticky Dane is a collectible due to its foliage rather than flowers because the leaves are simply irresistible if you like evergreen plants. They emerge light green and strictly upright with inwardly curved margins revealing almost white indumentum of their reverse. They are evergreen and sticky, hence its name, and mature to dark green and very glossy as if covered with sugar icing. The plant grows slowly into a uniform and dense shrub only some 40 cm tall and wide in 10 years.

For a better looking shrub 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. Hardy to about -25°C (USDA zone 5b-6).

Last update 06-12-2018