Rhododendron 'KOKARDIA^®'

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.

Kokardia^® is a showy rhododendron variety with glowing lilac pink, funnel-shaped flowers decorated with a deep maroon flare on the upper petal. It flowers reliably every year in May. Evergreen leaves are deep olive green, broadly elliptic, medium glossy, and have red stalks. It grows rather slowly into a compact, bushy shrub about 1.2m tall and 1.5m wide. Bred by Hans Hachmann.

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. Ideal soil mixture is peat with lime-free, light garden soil topped with leaf-mould. Hardy to min. -24 °C (USDA zone 5b).

Last update 23-02-2009; 19-01-2021