Rhododendron Saffron Queen

Rhododendron 'Saffron Queen', which naturally forms a small bush with a slightly spreading habit, displays beautiful sulfur yellow flowering in spring, touched with darker spots on the reverse side of the petals, truly radiant in partially shaded areas of the garden or terrace. Clothed in dark green evergreen foliage, the bush is decorative all year round. This slightly cold-sensitive variety is grown in the ground in oceanic climates. Elsewhere, plant it in a large pot that will spend the entire summer on the terrace or balcony. Like most Rhododendrons, this plant requires acidic, moist but well-drained soil rich in humus.

Rhododendrons are plants in the heath family, just like heathers, and prefer soils devoid of limestone, with an acidic tendency, and humid climates. The 'Saffron Queen' variety is an English horticultural hybrid dating back to 1948. It was obtained through the cross-breeding of the botanical species Rhododendron xanthostephanum, of Chinese and Burmese origin, and R. burmanicum, native to Burma. All three are fairly cold-sensitive plants, with beautiful mahogany-coloured barks, which bear yellow flowers in spring and evergreen leaves in winter. It should be noted that to this day, all descendants of the Rhododendron burmanicum created through hybridization are susceptible to severe frosts.

'Saffron Queen' slowly forms a rounded bush, 90cm (35in) tall and wide at the age of 10. Under good growing conditions, a mature plant reaches 1.20m (4ft) in all directions. Its leathery, elongated, lanceolate leaves, measuring up to 8.5cm (3in) long, are dark green and glossy on the upper side. They have a pronounced central vein. During the months of April and May, it will bloom in loose corymbs or clusters of 8 to 9 funnel-shaped flowers. Each flower, 6.3cm (3in) in diameter, is composed of light yellow petals, with darker dorsal lobes. The throat of the flower, which houses long stamens with brown anthers, has a deeper yellow hue. The flowering is not fragrant.

The Rhododendron 'Saffron Queen' is a beautiful plant for a garden with a mild oceanic climate. It will look stunning in the middle of a bed, in a shaded rockery, or as a standalone specimen. It will enhance the garden all year round and enliven it in spring with its refined and radiant flowering. Place it, for example, on a slope or in a rockery, alongside Ferns, Pieris, Heathers, Kalmias, or even Azaleas and Japanese Maples that appreciate the same environments. It can be grown in a container, provided it is provided with an acidic and well-drained substrate, special fertilizer for ericaceous plants, and regular watering with non-limestone water. This cultivation method allows it to be protected from cold during winter.