Rhododendron 'Wilgen's Surprise'

RHS Plant Profile
rhododendron 'Wilgen's Surprise'

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rhododendron 'Wilgen's Surprise' RHS / Joanna Kossak
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A compact, very hardy, upright and bushy evergreen shrub with healthy-looking, oval dark green leaves and trusses of dark red flowers with chocolate brown markings which appear from late May through to June

Position

Full shade, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid

Position

Full shade Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ericaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy, Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises) Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Rhododendron can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple leaves, sometimes with a dense colourful indumentum of hairs on the lower side, and funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular flowers that may be solitary or in short racemes
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in light dappled shade, in a site sheltered from cold, dry winds and late frosts, in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, acidic soil, preferably between pH4.5 and pH5.5; will also tolerate sun and dry soil; for more advice, see rhododendron cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by heeled semi-ripe cuttings in late summer, by layering in autumn, or by grafting in late winter or late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Low Maintenance
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 1 or pruning group 8

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron whiteflies, rhododendron leafhopper, lacebugs, scale insects, caterpillars, and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, bud blast, honey fungus, rust, leafy gall, petal blight, silver leaf, Phytophthora root and shoot rots, and, if soil is not sufficiently acidic, lime-induced chlorosis; for more advice, see Rhododendron diseases