Kalmia latifolia 'SCHOKRA'

Honestly, we are nuts about kalmias – mountain laurels. Not very well known, these mid-sized shrubs deserve more attention as they belong to the most beautiful flowering evergreen shrubs of our climate. They come from south-eastern USA and the Asian mountains where they grow under taller trees. There are many cultivars combining all sorts of red, pink and burgundy shades with white, all of them beautiful, all of them very hardy. The best display is when half of the bloom cluster is still in buds which mostly have a different colour than the flowers themselves.

Schokra is another dark-flowered mountain laurel variety from Germany, bred by Dr.Karl-Heinz Hübbers in 1993 a s across between Shooting Star and Mitternacht. Its flowers are deep burgundy red but not black, decorated with almost white margins. Buds are a combination of off-white and a hint of the inner flower colour. Evergreen leaves are narrowly elliptic, leathery, dark green, and glossy. The plant grows at medium growth rate to an upright shrub.

For a happy life it MUST HAVE acidic soil (add plenty of peat). Do not dig a deep hole but a wide one. Plant it in light, well drained soil that has to be well mulched to keep the surface roots moist at all times. Full sun is best for profuse flowering. Fertilize in spring and early autumn with rhododendron fertilizers. Use water solutions or slow-release fertilizers that will not burn the delicate surface roots. Fully hardy to -34°C (USDA zone 4) and suitable for outdoor pots all year round.

Last update 31-01-2019