Rhododendron 'GREAT DANE'

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.

Great Dane rhododendron from the Dane series belongs among varieties that are cultivated predominantly for their beautiful foliage. As the leaves emerge they are covered with dense, silvery grey indumentum. Customers are sometimes afraid that this film is a sign of a disease and try to get rid of it or spray it. Don’t! You wouldn’t do the same to a butterfly, would you? It is a natural protection of young foliage which will disappear when the leaves mature to dark green colour with conspicuous yellow midrib. They are evergreen, leathery, narrowly elongated, 15-21 cm long and 5-7 cm wide, and partially glossy.

In early May appear tennis-ball-like trusses composed of 15-17 pink flower buds. They open to 5 cm wide, pure white flowers with a few red freckles on dorsal sepal and a cute, small, maroon blotch in the throat. Great Dane grows moderately to fast forming a spreading, mounding shrub which, under ideal conditions, may grow 1.5 or even 2 meters tall in maturity. The Dane series is developed by two Danish breeders and enthusiastic rhododendron collectors Svend Hansen and Jens Christian Birck and this variety was bred by the latter. So far the series comprises of these varieties: Best Dane, Debbie Dane, Chocolate Dane, Rusty Dane, White Dane, Sticky Dane, Birck’s Dane, Silver Dane, Great Dane, Needle Dane a Wooly Dane (as of 2022).

For a better-looking plant deadhead rhododendrons where possible. They are not supposed to be pruned but may be rejuvenated if needed. You can either wait until the flowers have bloomed or prune it immediately after all frosts in late winter. This will result in quicker regeneration since the sap will wake up dormant buds as opposed to feeding the flower buds which will lead to a certain level of exhaustion. The roots are shallow, spreading to sides in search for nutrients. Never plant them too deep. The soil must well-drained, acidic (of pH value 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. It is hardy to min. -25°C (USDA zone 6) and may withstand a few degrees lower (more trials pending).

Last update 27-01-2021; 27-12-2022