Rhododendron Scyphocalyx

Rhododendron 'Scyphocalyx' is a hybrid whose bicoloured flowering is incredibly vibrant and vivid. It forms a bush with a wider than it is tall, dense and well-branched. Its evergreen foliage, tough and luxuriant dark green, creates permanent interest for borders and containers. It is a very floriferous variety that offers countless bouquets of bright pink flowers, highlighted by an orange to ochre yellow throat. With intense and warm flowers, it's ideal for attracting attention to the slightly shaded corners of the garden. Enhance its flowering by planting it isolated at the edge of your terrace or by combining it in a semi-shaded border with other ericaceous shrubs.

Rhododendrons are plants from the Ericaceae family, just like heathers, preferring soils devoid of limestone, with an acidic tendency, as well as humid climates. 'Scyphocalyx' is a hybrid rhododendron that stands out for its abundant, bicoloured, and highly colourful flowering. It naturally forms a very dense bush with a spreading habit, about 1m (3ft) tall and 1.5m (5ft) wide. Its growth is moderately fast. Its evergreen leaves, dark green with a slightly satin finish, are elliptical in shape and cover the plant well. They have a very velvety underside. The young shoots are a beautiful carmine red to purple. In April-May, remarkably abundant flowering submerges the bush: beautiful and large bell-shaped flowers open in voluminous corymbs. Their bright pink colour with a lighter, orange to ochre yellow throat, maculated with reddish-brown spots, is highlighted by the shiny texture of the petals and the white tips of the stamens, like small jewels grouped at the heart of the flower.

Rhododendron 'Scyphocalyx' is a brilliant shrub, hardy down to -15°C (5°F), or even -20°C (68°F), and easy to grow as long as the conditions suit it, in terms of soil and climate. Even though they prefer a semi-shaded exposure, hybrid rhododendrons with large flowers tolerate the sun as long as it is not scorching and their base remains moist. 'Scyphocalyx', with its generous and sparkling flowering, will beautifully decorate a small semi-shaded space in the garden, the terrace, or the balcony. Plant it in the company of ferns, blue or variegated hostas, Pieris, heathers, Kalmias, Japanese Maples, or other rhododendrons from the same group to create superb patchworks of textures and colours in spring. Cultivation in containers requires regular watering with non-limestone water, as well as specific fertilizer for ericaceous plants.