Rhododendron 'CUNNINGHAM'S WHITE' rhododendron
size/type
medium-sized shrub,taller shrub
usual height
1,5-3m
usual width
1,5-3m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
April-May
location
full to partial sun
soil type
acidic (peaty)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
USDA zone (lowest)
7 (down to -23°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Rhododendron
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.Description of the plant:
Cunningham’s White is a time-tested rhododendron cultivar, developed and introduced by J. Cunningham around 1830 as a hybrid of R. caucasicum and a white-flowering clone of R. ponticum. In the 1950s, it was named Coelestinum at Hillier Nursery before the description was standardized to acknowledge Cunningham's authorship.This is a large-flowered hybrid that blooms from late April, with pale pink buds opening into beautiful, chalk-white flowers 4-6 cm wide, arranged in terminal, slightly loose clusters of around 8 flowers. The throat of the flower is adorned with conspicuous spots in sandy orange to light purple colour. It grows moderately to fast into a sturdy and upright shrub, reaching a height and width of around 3 meters at maturity (over many decades). The evergreen leaves are about 10 cm long, dark green, moderately glossy, and broadly elliptical.
For a better-looking plant deadhead where possible. The roots are shallow, spreading to sides in search for nutrients. Never plant them too deep. The soil must be acidic (pH 4.5-5.5), rich in humus, cool and always moist but well-drained. Ideal soil mixture is peat with lime-free, light garden soil topped with leaf-mould. It is hardy to min. -29°C (USDA zone 5b).
Last update 30-04-2009; 23-01-2025
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GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
