A fork in the rhodos
THE RHODODENDRON IS A SPECTACULAR, COLOURFUL ADDITION TO ANY GARDEN
RHODODENDRONS have a special place in garden history. They were among the plant introductions from China in the 19th century and have become widespread as evergreen shrubbery in UK gardens.
China had been a forbidden place for foreign visitors and it is amazing to think that the astounding depth of China’s native flora was largely unknown up until this time.
The earliest introductions were mainly from European plant hunting excursions, but between 1800 and 1860 the areas of Macao and Canton in Southern China and the island of Formosa (now Taiwan) were visited by several plant collectors, the most significant being Robert Fortune.
Having trained at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, he was responsible for introducing great numbers of plant species, including the magnificent Rhododendron fortunei which has beautiful, large trusses of scented white flowers.
Rhododendrons have since been avidly collected by gardeners and hybridised due to great demand to create hundreds of new cultivars. Garden centres commonly stock popular colours that grow to manageable sizes for the average garden, but there are so many fantastic specimens that are often overlooked.
One example is Rhododendron sinogrande which is a large shrub with the deepest glossy green leaves and pale yellow creamy flowers. This can even make a beautiful focal point as a small garden tree. Its bell-shaped flowers hang in elegant clusters, their crimson centres clearly visible from the ground.
The key point to bear in mind with rhodos is that they need acidic soil to perform really well and produce plenty of healthy foliage and flowers. If your soil is not naturally acidic, grow them in pots containing an ericaceous compost and keep fed with a liquid ericaceous feed. Use rainwater as tap water tends to be quite alkaline and over time can raise the pH of the pot’s soil.
‘Cunningham’s White’ is also a popular choice with big trusses of white flowers and is able to tolerate neutral soil.
Your other option is the Inkarho rhodo – these are cultivars grafted onto lime-tolerant rootstocks so can grow in a clay soil up to a pH of 7.
This patented rootstock was developed from a chance discovery of a rhodo growing in a lime quarry, but they do require more feeding than other rhododendrons to maintain tip-top shape.
These are available from Millais Nurseries in Surrey (rhododendrons.co.uk; 01252 792698).
The advice remains the same, whatever type you choose – don’t plant too deep as they are surface rooting plants and keep well watered during the first season especially. Ideally, they like dappled shade and shelter.
If you want to introduce a few evergreen shrubs into the garden that will reward you with fabulous colour, most good garden centres will have Rhododendron ‘Golden Torch’, a compact bush which matures to 1.5m and bears red buds that open into peachy flower clusters. Another gorgeous garden plant is Rhododendron ‘Titian Beauty’, which is adorned with deep waxy red flowers in late spring and early summer.
Decide on flower colour, what eventual size you require and in which season you would like it to bloom before you make your choice and you won’t go too far wrong.