Rhododendron Marie Forte

Rhododendron 'Marie Forte', sometimes marketed under the names Marie Fortie or Madame Fortier, is an old hybrid obtained in Belgium, still widely planted in our gardens and in large pots to decorate terraces and balconies. It naturally forms a beautiful rounded bush with dense vegetation, and in spring it is covered with remarkable flowers with a dark pink-violet colour that fades to purple as they wither. Illuminated by white stamens and grouped in round inflorescences on fine, glossy foliage, they bring life to the garden, even in shady areas. Decorative throughout the year, plant this evergreen shrub in ericaceous soil, in semi-shade or even in the morning sun if the soil remains cool.

Rhododendrons belong to the Ericaceae family, just like heathers, preferring humid climates and soils devoid of limestone, tending towards acidity. Derived from hybridisation with Rhododendron catawbiense, Rhododendron 'Marie Forte' was obtained in 1925 and remains one of the most popular cultivars to this day. It forms a dense bush with a rounded habit, not exceeding 2 m (6.6 ft) in all directions at maturity. Its growth is rather slow. It generally reaches 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in all directions at the age of 10. Its large evergreen leaves are dark green and shiny, quite thin, elliptical in shape, and cover the plant well. From mid-May to mid-June, depending on the region, an abundant flowering submerges the bush with beautiful large funnel-shaped flowers for about 3 weeks. The flower buds are purplish-wine in colour, opening in a range of shades from pink-violet to very deep purple, which is lighter in the dark red maculated throat. 'Marie Forte' petals are fringed at the edges and open to beautiful white stamens.

Rhododendron 'Marie Forte' is quite hardy, down to -15° C (5° F) or even -20° C (-4° F). Although they prefer a semi-shaded exposure, hybrid Rhododendrons can tolerate the morning sun as long as it is not scorching and their base remains cool. 'Marie Forte', with its somewhat theatrical flowering, will easily adorn a small shady space in the garden, accompanied by ferns, blue or variegated hostas, Pieris, heathers, Kalmias, Azaleas, Japanese Maples, or other rhododendrons from the same group to create superb patchworks of textures and colours in spring. Rhododendrons can also be used to create magnificent hedges, alone or with camellias or mimosas (in mild climates), for example. Cultivation in pots requires regular watering with non-limestone water and specific fertiliser for ericaceous soil plants.