Rhododendron yakushimanum Percy Wiseman

Rhododendron Percy Wiseman is a dwarf cultivar, bushy, very floriferous, with a stunning colour, rewarded in England with an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in 1993. Its spring flowering, incredibly generous, takes the form of large bouquets adopting a gradient of fuchsia, pink, pale salmon, soft orange and cream-white depending on the ripeness of the flowers. With its compact habit, beautiful evergreen foliage and wonderful flowering, 'Percy Wiseman' stands out as one of the most beautiful ericaceous shrubs for the terrace or small spaces. Rhododendrons require light, moist, limestone-free soil and a humid climate to fully express themselves.

Derived from the crossbreeding of several species, the Rhododendron 'Percy Wiseman' is a plant of the heath family, almost exclusively adapted to acidic soils. It is a variety belonging to the Hymenanthes subgenus and the Pontica subsection. It forms a compact, bushy and well-branched shrub, rather spreading, not exceeding 1m (3ft) to 1.2m (4ft) in all directions, and bears evergreen oval to elliptical leaves, shiny green, downy and lighter on the underside. Its growth is quite fast for a rhododendron, its harmonious vegetation and elegant foliage giving it a real presence in the garden all year round. However, it is in April-May that it stands out thanks to its remarkably generous flowering with wonderful colours. The flowers, in the shape of large campanulate bells, are grouped in clusters of 8 to 10 at the ends of numerous stems. Fuchsia in bud, they open into a pink tone nuanced with pale orange, cream and peach, lightening as they bloom, forming a very beautiful colour combination. 

This compact bush will be ideal in a border or in a container, provided it benefits from suitable soil and climate; "rhodos" are as attractive as they are exclusive! Its colour goes well with the pastel tones of hydrangeas (there is a wide choice, from white to pink, passing through blue), the coloured young shoots of Pieris, and the red-purple and garnet colours, such as the foliage of the Japanese maple 'Atropurpureum' or the flowers of Loropetalum chinense 'Fire Dance'. For a scene of contemporary inspiration or a garden with a clean style, combine it with white flowers and foliage, such as a white Bleeding Heart and the foliage of the copper fern (Dryopteris erythrosora).