Monrovia : Learn

This pink flowering shrub with increased hardiness is abundant with rose-red buds that open to deep pink growing lighter as they age. Blooming plants resemble old fashioned shrub roses due to ruffled petal edges. Emerald leaves are rich and well distributed for excellent contrast against lighter flowers. Part sun. Moderate growth to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

Performance and Requirements

Light needs: Partial sun

Watering Needs: Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.

Pruning Time: Spring after flowering

Growth Rate: Moderate Growing

Growth Habit: Erect

Design Information

Companion Plants

BLUEBIRD LACECAP HYDRANGEA
Hydrangea serrata 'Bluebird'

VAUGHN'S LILLIE^® OAK LEAF HYDRANGEA
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Vaughn's Lillie'^® P.P.# 12982

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Companion Plants (Description): Group this beauty with perennials such as Shenandoah Mountain Coral Bells, (Heuchera 'Shenandoah Mountain'), Black Barlow Columbine, (Aqueligia vulgaris 'Black Barlow'), Wavy Leaved Plantain Lily, (Hosta undulata 'Mediovariegata'), Bluebird Lacecap Hydrangea, (Hydrangea serrata 'Bluebird') and Vaughn's Lillie Oak Leaf Hydrangea, (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Vaughn's Lillie').

Design Styles: A fiery rhodie for interest to evergreen forested settings. Use it to draw the eye deep into a spring garden. Save for high profile foundation planting beneath windows where the flowers will sit right at the sill for indoor and outdoor viewing. Close up locations to outdoor living spaces bring the rose-like flowers up close. A beauty in mixed shrub borders or to add zest among cool colored perennials.

Care Information

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Provide well drained soil, rich in organic matter. Feed with an acid fertilizer after bloom. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch.

Background Information

History: The genus Rhododendron is grouped into the heath family, Ericaceae which contains many acid soil loving species. Rhododendron was named and classified by Linnaeus who named it from the Greek for rose tree. This genus also contains shrubs commonly called azaleas within its 800 Rhododendron species and thousands of hybrids. The species are native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere but are most abundant in the Himalayas and other mountains of Asia. This plant is a cultivar of the Japanese species, R. yakushimanum, native to the region of Yakushima and introduced in 1934. The direct parent is the hybrid ‘China.’ Looking Glass was developed by Briggs Gordner in the 20th century.

Lore: Rhododendrons are largely found in the Himalayas and other mountains of Asia as well as some species in temperate North America.

Botanical Pronunciation: roh-doh-DEN-dron HIB-rid

Catalog Description: This pink flowering shrub with increased hardiness is abundant with rose-red buds that open to deep pink growing lighter as they age. Blooming plants resemble old fashioned shrub roses due to ruffled petal edges. Emerald leaves are rich and well distributed for excellent contrast against lighter flowers. Part sun. Moderate growth to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.