Rhododendron Catawbiense Grandiflorum Inkarho

Rhododendron Catawbiense Grandiflorum Inkarho originally comes from a vigorous variety, very close to an American botanical. With an impressive flowering, it also commands respect for its resistance to difficult conditions. It has recently been grafted as "Inkharo" to show better tolerance to slightly chalky or clayey soils. It forms a large bush, with elongated shiny green leaves and its large light lilac flowers with a golden eye, speckled with brown at the throat, bloom freely in spring. This lush selection, once reserved for acidic soil beds only, can now be planted in a wider variety of conditions, even in slightly chalky or somewhat heavy soils.

Rhododendrons are plants of the heather family. The story of the Inkharo Rhododendrons, somewhat revolutionary plants, began in Germany over 20 years ago. The discovery of a rhododendron naturally growing in a chalk quarry led to the grafting of different varieties onto its extraordinary root system. The shrubs obtained by this method tolerate a wide range of soils with a pH ranging from 4.5 to 7.5, as long as they are loose, fertile, moist, and not excessively chalky. In summary, soil suitable for hydrangeas.

Rhododendron catawbiense, the origin of the Grandiflorum cultivar, is a botanical species with large development originating from the U.S.A, specifically from the mountain slopes of the southern Appalachians extending from Virginia to Georgia. It is characterised by remarkable cold and disease resistance that can affect these shrubs. Frequently planted in American gardens, it has been hybridised with less hardy species from the Himalayas to produce some of our most spectacular rhododendrons. Grandiflorum, introduced to the market before 1850, forms a large bush with a spreading habit, wider than tall. Its growth is relatively fast, reaching an average height of 2.50 m with a spread of 3 m under good conditions. The branches are abundantly covered with beautiful dark green glossy foliage, consisting of narrow, slightly arched, oblong-shaped evergreen leaves. The remarkably abundant flowering occurs from late May to mid-June. The large funnel-shaped flowers are gathered in large spherical clusters with a luxurious appearance. The flower colour, mauve punctuated with golden yellow and brown, is particularly bright in shade.

Rhododendron Catawbiense Grandiflorum Inkarho is a very hardy plant, down to at least -25°C. It can be used as a standalone or in mass planting, alongside other ericaceous plants as well as plants not necessarily acid-loving. It can be combined with Chinese azaleas, complementing and tempering their warm tones, magnolias, pieris, mountain laurels (Kalmia), Japanese maples with green or purple foliage. In a large garden, it can even form a majestic hedge along a grand avenue, alongside other large rhododendrons. It is versatile with its Inkharo grafting and you can also plant it alongside many other flowering shrubs: hydrangeas or autumn camellias for example.