Cunningham's Blush Rhododendron

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. Pruning time: spring after flowering.

This unique Rhodie grows much wider than it does tall. A single plant can fill an entire small flower bed. A good plant for covering foundations. Great in very large open areas to block weeds. Works well as a hedge between driveways or to separate your front lawn from your neighbor's.

Combine this lower growing Rhododendron with other spreading shrubs to fill large planters. Its pink coloring blends well with the blue-flowering Carmel Creeper California Lilac (Ceanothus griseus horizontalis 'Carmel Creeper') and the bright red winter berries of Variegated Rock Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis 'Variegatus'). It also blends nicely with purple Petite IndigoTM Dwarf Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii nanhoensis 'Mongo') and Petite OrchidTM Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica 'Monhid').

The genus Rhododendron is grouped into the heath family, Ericaceae which contains many acid soil loving species. 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 species, R. caucasicum, which is native to the Caucasus of Eastern Europe. It was classified and introduced by Peter Simon Pallas, 1741-1811, who was a German student of Russian and Siberian flora. This species would the primary parent of a series of hybrids known as the Caucasicum Hybrid Rhododendrons. 'Cunningham Blush' was an early hybrid introduced around 1830.

Rhododendron was named and classified by Linnaeus who named it from the Greek for rose tree.