Old Copper Rhododendron

For a touch of elegance and class, plant the Old Copper Rhododendron. This variety takes you into a whole new color range, with wonderful flowers that begin orange-red then open to a unique orange-pink, gradually fading into more peachy, orange-yellow tones. Not only does this plant give you a subtly different look every day, the flowers themselves are elegant and different. Held in a cluster of 5 on long stems that don’t droop, they are more bell-shaped than trumpet-shaped, with wavy edges on the petals. This gives a very different look to the more-usual ball of tight blooms we see on so many varieties. The bush itself is different too, with 4-inch leaves and an upright, more open form, growing rapidly 6 inches a year into a mature bush that could one day be 8 to 10 feet tall and wide. So allow plenty of room when planting for the glory of that. It’s a late bloomer too, so use it to extend the glory of the early summer blooming season.

• Unique color range from coppery-orange through orange-pink into peach
• Large, elegant leaves of sage green
• Vigorous and fast-growing – 10 feet tall in the not so distant future.
• Plant in well-drained, acidic, moist soil for the best results
• Late blooming, so extends the flowering season for your rhododendrons

Choose a spot combining some sun – preferably just in the morning – with some shade for your Old Copper Rhododendron. The soil should have a pH value below 6.5, with 5.5 being the ideal. The soil should also be moist and rich, but well-drained, so add plenty of lime-free materials when preparing the soil. Sphagnum peat and pine needles are a good place to start. Water young plants regularly and remember that rhododendrons are not very drought tolerant, even when well-established. If you see drooping leaves in summer, give the plant a long, slow soaking. Deer don’t bother it – the leaves are poisonous – and pests or diseases are normally not a problem either. It’s best not to prune, and certainly not to trim, but when smaller it is helpful to remove fading flower heads by snapping them off just above the top leaves.