Rhododendron 'GOLDEN GREEN GIFT'

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.

Golden Green Gift is a big rhododendron surprise from 2015 when it was introduced by Floribras Garden Plants at GroenGroenPlus Exhibition in the Netherlands and won the Silver Medal. It is a sport of an old and reliable variety Madame Masson from 1849 with variegated foliage. Its evergreen leaves are leathery, broadly elliptic, 10-14 cm long, dark green in the centre with golden yellow margins. In May appear rich trusses of glowing purple pink, broadly funnel-shaped flowers with amber orange-brown dots in the throat. With less nutrients they may appear every other year. It grows upright forming a spreading shrub whose ultimate size has not been determined yet and is expected to reach about one and a half meter. Thanks to its amazingly coloured foliage Golden Green Gift is a guaranteed recipe how to cheer up a garden not only in winter.

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 abt. -27 °C (USDA zone 5b).

Last update 14-12-2021