Rhododendron (yakushimanum) 'QUEEN ALICE' rhododendron

“Queen Alice” has beautiful, multi-coloured, funnel-shaped flowers: buds are cherry red, opening to rosy pink with yellow shades in the throat. Leaves are large, dull green. It belongs to the Yakushimanum group of rhodes which were crossed with the species originally found on Yakushima Island, Japan. Its further advantage is the suitability for insolate locations. It grows slowly, forming a dense and compact bush about 1m tall and only a bit wider. This makes it an excellent solution even a small garden. For richer flowering and growth dead-head where possible. Rhododendrons are low-maintenance shrubs that will perform superbly provided you plant them well. The roots are shallow, spreading to sides in search for nutrients. Never plant them too deep. The soil has to 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. Fertilizing is not recommended, however, you can always use a special flower encourager. Fully hardy.