Pohjola's Daughter Rhododendron
Rhododendron 'Pohjola's Daughter'
Height: 3 feet
Spread: 4 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4a
Other Names: Finnish Rhododendron
Group/Class: Marjatta Hybrids
Description:
A relatively new broadleaf evergreen shrub with delicate white flowers that emerge from red buds in spring, coarse dark foliage and a broadly compact habit; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil, use plenty of peat moss
Ornamental Features
Pohjola's Daughter Rhododendron is clothed in stunning clusters of lightly-scented shell pink trumpet-shaped flowers with a chartreuse flare at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has green foliage. The narrow leaves remain green throughout the winter. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Pohjola's Daughter Rhododendron is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Pohjola's Daughter Rhododendron is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Pohjola's Daughter Rhododendron will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 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 microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.
Pohjola's Daughter Rhododendron makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
