Rhododendron 'MARCEL MENARD' rhododendron
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.
Marcel Menard, originally named Monsieur Marcel Ménard, is a large-flowered rhododenron developed by the French breeder Nicolas Croux and introduced in 1924. It bears fantastically colored flowers of deep purple-violet hue with attractive golden-brown spots on the upper petal. The flowers are widely open and grouped in terminal trusses of 9-15 blooms, appearing usually from mid-May to early June. The evergreen leaves are about 8-10 cm long, dark green, glossy, broadly elliptical, and slightly curled downwards at margins. It grows moderately fast into a spreading shrub around 1.5 meters in height and nearly 2 meters in width at maturity (over many decades).
For a better-looking plant deadhead where possible. The roots are shallow, spreading to sides in search of 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).
Last update 03-05-2009; 23-01-2025
