Rhododendron 'SILVER JUBILEE'

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.

Shall I exaggerate? You know I can. And in this case I will, gladly. Silver Jubilee rhododendron is fantastic, gorgeous, and immaculate. In early May its pink buds open into funnel-shaped, almost pure white flowers with a little rich red sparkle at the very bottom of its throat. Splendid combination and a decent addition among other wildly-coloured varieties. Evregreen leaves are leathery, dark, green, long and elliptic, not very glossy.

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. Reliably hardy to about -23°C (USDA zone 6), possibly a lot more.

Last update 31-12-2015