Rhododendron evergreen: features of the species and description, flower varieties and their photos, use in garden design, planting and care instructions

These charming shrubs simply amaze with their beauty and grandeur, it is impossible to look away from them.

Rhododendrons begin to delight with their magnificent bright inflorescences from the very beginning of spring, continue in the summer - they turn any garden plot into some kind of fabulous kingdom.

It is only necessary to choose the right variety, it is very important that the plant must be frost-resistant.

Brief definition

Rhododendron evergreen belongs to the heather family, refers to this type of shrubs that do not drop leaves even in winter.

Detailed description

These are quite tall shrubs, capable of growing up to 4 meters in height.

Leaves - dense, leathery, dark green.
Flowers - diverse in color, in size (from 2 to 16 cm), mainly have the shape of a bell. They are collected in inflorescences of several pieces.
Roots - located close to the surface of the soil.
Fruit - represent a five-leaved box with seeds that ripen in late August - early September.

History of occurrence

Evergreen began to be cultivated in areas near Rhododendron houses in the 19th century. and immediately won many hearts. Now he is no longer such an outlandish guest as before, you can meet him in almost any country.

What's the Difference?

This species does not drop leaves for the winter, they curl up into a straw and take their normal appearance as soon as the temperature is comfortable for them.

Varieties: description and photo

There are several interesting subsorts.

Roseum Elegance

This is a wonderful old variety of the English collection, sprawling, almost spherical, slow-growing shrub with large soft purple or pink flowersblooms in June for almost 3 weeks. The bush is tall - 3 m in height and the same in diameter (sometimes even wider). You will learn more about this species here.

Katevbinsky Grandiflorum

One of the most popular evergreen Rhododendrons, a large-leafed long-liver with a delicate aroma, its flowers are large, similar to bells, collected in large inflorescences of about 20 pieces. During flowering, the bush is a large luxurious bright ball, and it can be of any color - white, pink, raspberry or purple. Read about Katevbinsky rhododendron here.

Hybrid

The most popular variety in this form is Alfred, it is not very high - from 1 to 2 meters in height, spherical. with large (up to 6 cm) pink flowers in a light green speck, its inflorescences are very dense and fluffy. You will find all details about hybrid rhododendrons in this material.

Bloom

Evergreen rhododendron blooms in spring and summer, depending on its variety., flowering is simply gorgeous, flowers are collected in large (up to 20 pieces) inflorescences of various colors.

Care before and after flowering.
After wintering, you need to carefully examine the shrub - if the weather is already quite warm, and the leaves are in no hurry to unwind and take their normal shape, this means that they do not have enough moisture, you need to water the bushes and spray the bush.
As soon as the leaves unwind, you need to make top dressing, you can fertilize it with infusion of good humus or complex fertilizer “For Rhododendrons”.
It is very important not to let dry at this moment in any case, otherwise the flowering will not be plentiful. After the flowering is over, you need to remove the dried flowers and also continue to monitor the watering.
Why doesn’t bloom?
In this case, you must first check for the presence of diseases and pests, if everything is fine, nothing is wrong, then it is all a matter of improper planting - either the place is inappropriate or the root neck has been deepened, it is urgent to transplant it.

Garden design

Evergreen rhododendron will fit perfectly into any design, you can make a group planting, or you can plant one bush under the canopy of a pine tree, for example, or at a partial shade of a pond, or you can make a hedge near the recreation area, this place will become your favorite.

Step-by-step care instructions

Choosing a landing place.
The place should be chosen so that the shrub is in a diffused shadow, and not in an open sunny area. The best "neighbors" for him will be ferns, heather and all types of conifers, it is also undesirable to place Rhododendron on the corner of the house, the plant does not tolerate cold winds.
What should be the soil?
Of course, ordinary country land is not suitable for Rhododendron, because it requires not very nutritious, acidic and well-drained, loose soil, therefore, in the existing ordinary soil you need to add top peat and needles, that is, acidify it and add some more sand.
Landing.
Shrub planting should be done in spring (better than early).
1. the landing pit should be spacious (2 times the root system);
2. any first drainage should be poured to the bottom;
3. then already plant a seedling;
4. if the plant is very young (the stem is thin), then you need to dig a wooden peg into the pit and attach a trunk (tie) to it to grow evenly;
5. after planting, you need to water the plant (at least 2 buckets of water), then pour a layer of mulch.
Temperature.
Evergreen rhododendron is able to withstand 35 degrees of frost and 30 degrees of heat, but the most optimal temperature for its good development will be in the range from minus 10 degrees to plus 20 degrees.
Watering.
It is necessary to water it with soft and better acidified water (you can use lemon juice), about 1 time per week, depending on the weather.
Each watering should be plentiful - under an adult bush you need to pour 5 buckets of water (gradually), under a small - 2 buckets.
Top dressing.
It is good to feed with special liquid fertilizer, especially during flowering (3 times per season), while young bushes require more frequent feeding, you can add humus infusion - before flowering and after flowering. By the way, you can fertilize not only by watering under the root, but by spraying the entire bush.
Pruning.
Actually, it is not needed, the plant itself is perfectly formed, it is only necessary to cut or break all the flower stalks after flowering, otherwise the forces will go to seed ripening. You can also trim a fairly old bush for its rejuvenation - this is done in early spring, the branches are cut about 40 cm from the ground and the places of the cuts are treated with garden varieties.
Transfer.
Shrubs can be replanted in spring and autumn, preferably in autumn in September or October, and in spring only when the soil warms up (April or May).

Landing Features

For the evergreen Rhododendron, the most successful methods of reproduction are cuttings and seeds.

Cuttings.
1. In early spring, cuttings need to be cut (the lower cut must be oblique) and root them in a light substrate.
2. A container with cuttings can be placed in a greenhouse.
3. After about a month you can dive.
4. After another 2 months, you can plant it separately.
5. A permanent place in the open ground can only be landed next spring.
The method is good, the cuttings are very viable.
The seeds.
A very simple option for obtaining a large number of small seedlings. Seeds for seedlings need to be sown in January (or February).
1. Sprinkle them on the surface of the substrate.
2. Pour (spray) carefully from the spray bottle and place also in the greenhouse.
3. Shoots will appear in about a month, at this time the temperature should be cool - about 12 - 15 degrees.
4. In June, grown seedlings can be planted in separate containers.
5. Next spring, all of them can be landed already in their places in the garden (or give to friends).

Diseases and Pests

Most often, rhododendron is harmed by spider mites, mealybugs, scale insects and bed bugs, if they are found, they must be treated immediately with any insecticide.

And the “favorite” diseases of this plant are fungal, any preparations containing copper sulfate will help here.

Prevention

To avoid fungal diseases, you need to choose the right place - on a hill or on well-drained soil. Pest prevention - in the spring, spray the bush with Bordeaux liquid.

Conclusion

Rhododendron, of course, is considered an exotic plant and not so long ago, many could not even think that it would be possible to plant such a shrub on its site. And such an opportunity appeared thanks to the great work of breeders who successfully bred various frost-resistant varieties. They are very responsive to love and care and in gratitude please us with armfuls of fabulous flowers.