CIS Rhododendron

The name may sound mundane, but the C.I.S. Rhododendron is anything but. With remarkable changing colors, the flowers first show color while still buds – a powerful crimson. As they open they are orange-red, and then, as the flowers age, they gradually turn to delicate apricots and creams. Every morning your bush will delight you, as if you had a new variety every day. The trumpet-shaped blossoms cluster in large trusses at the ends of every branch, and when not in bloom the glossy and leathery leaves look great too. Forming a pyramidal bush about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide within a decade, mature plants will one day double those dimensions – and still be blooming every spring in this spectacular display. No wonder this variety is coveted by collectors and rhododendron experts, but we have found some top-quality plants and are offering them to all our clients.

• Flowers change color from reds to oranges, apricots and creams
• Grows steadily, reaching 4 feet tall in 10 years
• A rare variety almost never available to general nurseries
• Grows best in warmer zones
• Should be planted in acidic soil

The C.I.S. Rhododendron is not particularly cold tolerant, and grows best in zone 7 and warmer zones. Some morning sun is useful for good growth, but it will grow in full, light shade, such as beneath open deciduous trees or at the foot of a north-facing wall. The soil should be rich and moist, but well-drained, and acidic, with a pH value of 6.0 or less. Use lime-free compost or rotted leaves when preparing the planting spot, and also use it for mulch over the root-zone. Regular watering is needed, as it isn’t drought tolerant. Deer don’t eat it, and it remains generally pest and disease free. Do not prune or trim, but you can remove spent flower heads as soon as the blossoms fall, by snapping them out just above the top-most leaves. Toxic to horses and livestock.