Rhododendron "Ken Janeck" flowers

Rhododendron "Ken Janeck" flowers

(Photo courtesy of Northscaping.com)

Description:

A compact and wide-spreading evergreen rhododendron with the prettiest flowers in the softest pink imaginable, fading to white; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil, use plenty of peat moss when planting

Ornamental Features:

Ken Janeck Rhododendron is draped in stunning clusters of shell pink trumpet-shaped flowers with white overtones at the ends of the branches in mid spring, which emerge from distinctive hot pink flower buds. It has dark green foliage. The narrow leaves remain dark green through the winter. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

Ken Janeck Rhododendron is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Ken Janeck Rhododendron is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Plant Characteristics:

Ken Janeck Rhododendron will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 feet from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.