Rhododendron Easydendron INKARHO Rusty Dane

Rhododendron Easydendron® Inkharo® Rusty Dane is a variety with a compact habit, whose foliage takes on a bronze or rusty hue when it emerges, before gradually turning dark green. In May, this small Rhododendron produces a beautiful white flowering, which contrasts pleasantly against the dark vegetation. Forming a bush as wide as it is tall, with evergreen leaves, its compactness allows it to be grown in a container on a terrace. In a diverse bed, on the edge of trees, Rusty Dane can do without acidic soil and be planted in more varied soils, even slightly chalky or somewhat heavy ones.

Rhododendrons are plants from the Ericaceae family, just like heathers, Gaultherias or Kalmias (Mountain Laurels). The history of Inkharo Rhododendrons, somewhat revolutionary plants, began in Germany over 20 years ago. The discovery of a Rhododendron naturally growing in a chalk quarry made it possible to consider grafting different varieties onto its extraordinary root system. The bushes obtained by this method tolerate a wide range of soils with a pH ranging from 4.5 to 6.5, as long as they are loose, fertile, moist, and not excessively chalky.
Rusty Dane is a hybrid obtained by cross-breeding Rhododendron bureavii, a small Chinese species from the Yunnan mountains, whose foliage is covered in a rusty-coloured down, and Rhododendron pachysanthum, from Taiwan, slightly taller but just as hairy on both sides of the leaves. Rusty Dane also has a chalky down, ranging in colour from bronze to rusty, on the young foliage, which gradually fades as the leaves grow. They are dark green with a very regular elliptical shape, pointed at the end, and are of medium size, about 6 to 9 cm long. When the young shoots appear, the bush has a two-tone appearance, with the juvenile leaves standing out against the dark green background.
With slow growth, this compact Rhododendron reaches a height of 60 to 75 cm after ten years of cultivation and an equivalent width. This compactness, combined with its tolerance for different soils, allows it to fit well in most gardens. In May, it forms pink flower buds that open into medium-sized white trumpets (6-8 cm). The white corollas are formed by five petals fused at the base, which then open outward, presenting a rounded tip. The upper petal is speckled with reddish-pink spots, while a cluster of stamens with a brown end emerges from the heart of the flower, accompanied by a protruding pistil, with a raised yellow tip.

The Rusty Dane Rhododendron is a very hardy plant, down to -20°C, at least. It is relatively tolerant in terms of exposure, we recommend planting it in non-scorching sun or partial shade, if possible in the east, where it benefits from the morning sun while being protected from excessive heat. Create a year-round flower bed by combining it with Camellias: Camellia sasanqua and its varieties will reward you with their white, pink, or red flowers in autumn and winter, while Camellia japonica will enchant the beginning of the year or spring. Skimmia japonica Godries Dwarf takes over in April-May with its clusters of small white-pink flowers. From June to October, you can count on Hydrangea macrophylla Rosita, a Hydrangea with large, bright pink heads, which will bring joy to your scene.