Rhododendron Wine & Roses

Rhododendron 'Wine & Roses' is a recent hybrid that stands out from all other varieties with its highly ornamental foliage, strongly tinged with purple-violet on the underside, throughout the year. 'Wine' evokes the astonishing colour of the foliage, while 'Roses' refers to the changing hue of the flowers, ranging from raspberry-red to a softer pink at full bloom. Not very large, bushy, with dense evergreen growth and generous spring flowering, this bush is well suited for small spaces and container gardening. In shade or partial shade, it will enhance many other ericaceous plants: other rhododendrons of course, but also Chinese or Japanese azaleas, golden heathers, and many others. 

Rhododendrons are plants from the Ericaceae family, just like heathers. They mostly prefer soils devoid of limestone, with an acidic tendency, and humid climates. The Rhododendron 'Wine & Roses' is a robust Scottish variety recently introduced to the horticultural market. It belongs to the group of hardy large-flowered hybrid rhododendrons. Its habit is dense, rounded, as wide as it is tall. At maturity, its average dimensions will reach 1.5 meters (5 feet) in all directions. Its growth is rather slow, so it will rarely exceed 1.2 meters (4 feet) at the age of 10. Its evergreen foliage is very unusual and abundant. It consists of persistent, ovate, leathery leaves with a unique colour: a more or less purplish dark green on the upper side, revealing a purple-violet to burgundy underside, regardless of the season. Flowering usually takes place in April-May, for about 3 weeks. It is abundant and overwhelms the bush: large funnel-shaped flowers bloom in round clusters. The flower bud has a very dark red hue, then opens into a bright pink corolla that fades over time and takes on purple highlights before withering. 

The Rhododendron 'Wine & Roses' is an original, floriferous plant that brings a real novelty among these acid and moist soil-loving bushes. With its exceptional foliage, compact habit and abundant and vibrant flowering, this variety allows you to attract attention to the semi-shaded areas of the garden and bring a very personal touch to the balcony or terrace. It can be planted alone or trimmed in a bed of ferns, blue or variegated hostas. It goes well with Pieris, Heathers, Kalmias, Skimmia, Azaleas, and Japanese Maples, as well as with other rhododendrons from the same group to create superb patchworks of textures and colours that evolve throughout the year. Container gardening requires regular watering with lime-free water and specific fertilizer for ericaceous plants.