Rhododendron 'CUNNINGHAM'S WHITE' rhododendron
Rhodovit (ericoid)Rhododendron
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.
Cunningham’s White is a time-tested rhododendron cultivar, developed and introduced by J. Cunningham around 1830 as a hybrid of R. caucasicum and a white-flowering clone of R. ponticum. In the 1950s, it was named Coelestinum at Hillier Nursery before the description was standardized to acknowledge Cunningham's authorship.
This is a large-flowered hybrid that blooms from late April, with pale pink buds opening into beautiful, chalk-white flowers 4-6 cm wide, arranged in terminal, slightly loose clusters of around 8 flowers. The throat of the flower is adorned with conspicuous spots in sandy orange to light purple colour. It grows moderately to fast into a sturdy and upright shrub, reaching a height and width of around 3 meters at maturity (over many decades). The evergreen leaves are about 10 cm long, dark green, moderately glossy, and broadly elliptical.
Last update 30-04-2009; 23-01-2025
For a better-looking plant deadhead where possible. The roots are shallow, spreading to sides in search for nutrients. Never plant them too deep. The soil must be acidic (pH 4.5-5.5), rich in humus, cool and always moist but well-drained. Ideal soil mixture is peat with lime-free, light garden soil topped with leaf-mould. It is hardy to min. -29°C (USDA zone 5b).
