Rhododendron 'KARL NAUE' rhododendron

Large-flowered rhododendron hybrid Karl Naue was bred by Hans Hachmann in 1994, and 11 years later his son Holger introduced it to the market. He named it to honour the 71st birthday of the head of the German nursery Dittersdorf Baumschulen, which Karl Naue founded in 1960 and where he devoted much of his time to rhododendrons. This variety is very popular thanks to red flowers, which glare from a distance. They are 6-7.5 cm wide, a rather cold tone of deep crimson red, and the upper lip is decorated with dark burgundy freckles. Another interesting feature are the white stamens and stigma which rise out of the funnel and upwards in a very orderly manner. It blooms from mid-May for 2-3 weeks. The evergreen leaves are dark green, elongated, matte. The plant grows fast into an upright and tall shrub about two and a half meters high and slightly less wide.

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. Ideal soil mixture is peat with lime-free, light garden soil topped with leaf-mould. It is hardy to abt. -26°C (USDA zone 5b) and may withstand a few degrees lower (more trials pending).

Last update 23-01-2024