Rhododendron yakushimanum Caroline Allbrook

Rhododendron 'Caroline Allbrook' is a particularly floriferous hybrid derived from the Japanese species yakushimanum, which has given it a compact habit. Its flowering in May-June is a feast for the eyes: clusters of violet buds open into campanulate and undulate flowers of magenta-pink colour, becoming pale pink over the days. The evergreen dark green foliage adorns its branches, whose sturdy architecture evokes Japanese art. A bright and romantic variety, perfect for easily enhancing a small shaded space in the garden.

Rhododendrons are plants of the Ericaceae family, just like heathers, preferring soils devoid of limestone, with an acidic tendency, and humid climates. The Rhododendron yakushimanum 'Caroline Allbrook' forms a dense bush, with a rounded habit of about 1.2m (4ft) in all directions at maturity. Its growth is rather slow, generally reaching 90cm (35in) at the age of 10. Its evergreen leaves, dark green and matte, are elliptical in shape and cover the plant well. They have a very velvety, reddish-brown underside. In May-June, its remarkably abundant flowering submerges the bush: grouped in corymbs, the violet flower buds open into large flowers, with silky and undulate petals on the edges, of a tender magenta pink, adorned with a very light yellow-green macule. Over time, the flowers fade to a very soft white-pink hue.

Like all yakushimanum hybrids, affectionately nicknamed "yak rhodos" by specialists, the Rhododendron 'Caroline Allbrook' is hardy to -15°C (5°F) or even -20°C (1°F). Although they prefer a semi-shaded exposure, these hybrids tolerate the sun as long as it is not scorching and their base remains moist. 'Caroline Allbrook', with its abundant and bright flowering, will easily enhance a small shaded space in the garden, alongside ferns, blue or variegated hostas, Pieris, heathers, Kalmias, Azaleas and Japanese Maples, or other rhododendrons from the same group to create superb patchworks of textures and colours in spring. Cultivation in pots requires regular watering with non-limestone water and specific fertilizer for acid-loving plants.