Rhododendron 'ERIKA GUYENS'

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.

Erika Guyens is a special rhododendron variety bred by Heinz J.A. Guyens from Kamp-Lintfort in NW Germany in 1994 as a cross between two very old hybrids (Souvenir of Anthony Waterer and Direktör E.Hjelm). There is not enough data on these two crosses, the only known ancestry is a fortunei hybrid and looking at Erika's habit and foliage there must be some yakushimanum blood as well. It is a very early variety producing flowers already from late April until mid May. They open from congested trusses of rich pink buds to warm pink, broadly funnel-shaped flowers, quickly changing to pale salmon pink and almost white with light beige and cream tones as they mature. The throat is decorated with conspicuous red stigma. Evergreen foliage is very pretty - the leaves are narrowly oval, light to mid green, and matte. The plant makes a neat, compact shrub or rounded to spreading habit, about one meter tall and a little wider.

For a better looking plant 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. It is hardy to min. -24°C (USDA zone 6) and may withstand a few degrees lower (more trials pending).

Last update 02-02-2017