Rhododendron 'FLAUTANDO'

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.

Flautando is a charming hybrid of rhododendron fauriei bred by Hans Hachmann from Germany and introduced in 1986. It makes 4-6 cm wide, broadly campanulate flowers with slightly frilled margins. They are golden yellow with red specs in the throat and pale pink towards the margins. Evergreen leaves are leathery, dark green, matt, narrowly oval, 8-10 cm long. The plant grows moderately into a compact shrub about one meter tall and wide.

For a better-looking plant deadhead rhododendrons where possible. 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. Hardy to min. -24 °C (USDA zone 6).

Last update 13-12-2021