Rhododendron Blaauws pink - Kurume Azalea

The 'Blaauw's Pink' Japanese Azalea is an old variety highly appreciated for its early and abundant flowering, which in May overwhelms a bush with a compact habit, well adapted to small spaces and pot cultivation. Its small double funnel-shaped flowers, tightly packed together, display a dazzling salmon pink colour will bring a unique touch to shaded rockeries or the space left under large rhododendrons.

The 'Blaauw's Pink' Rhododendron, born from unknown parents, is a horticultural creation from the Blaauw & Co nurseries in Boskoop, Netherlands, dating back to 1953. It belongs to a series of natural hybrids named 'Kurume', resulting from cross-breeding between different groups of rhododendrons such as R. kiusianum, R. kaempferi, R. sataense, and R. obtusum. They perform well in our cool and humid climates, with distinct seasons.

'Blaauw's Pink' is a modest-sized variety with a dense habit, initially rounded but spreading somewhat with age. It reaches approximately 80-90cm (31.5-35.4in) in height and 1m (3ft 4in) in width at the age of 12, and its growth is slow. Its extremely bright flowering occurs in May, sometimes as early as April depending on the climate. The 3cm (1.2in) diameter flowers display an overlapping corolla with two shades of pale pink and salmon pink, with a darker pink maculate on the outside. They have a funnel shape and are gathered in terminal clusters of 4 to 5 units, almost concealing the foliage. The foliage, mostly evergreen in winter, is composed of small, simple, elliptical leaves with entire margins, glossy, arranged alternately on the branches. Their colour is rather dark green with bronze highlights. This variety is hardy down to -23°C. Rhododendrons develop a shallow root system, which should always have access to moisture but avoids stagnant humidity that can suffocate it.

Japanese azaleas thrive in cool climates with marked winters, planted in acidic and humus-rich soil, such as heathland soil. In these conditions, they are very attractive evergreen bushes for flower beds or potted plants, charming all year round. They happily accompany heathers, Japanese maples, or their relatives, Chinese azaleas that change colour throughout the seasons. Also, associate them with flowering cherry trees, Japanese camellias, and their graceful autumn-flowering cousins, often with a fragrance, the hybrids of C. sasanqua. This 'Blaauw's Pink' variety, with its modest growth, allows for playing with heights and filling in the spaces below large heathland bushes. It will work wonders in a large, cool and shaded rockery or at the front of flower beds in a small Japanese or romantic garden, but also on a terrace or balcony in a carefully chosen large pot. Use suitable substrate and water with non-calcareous water.