March
Rhododendron 'Cosmopolitan'
Rhododendron
A stunning variety with amazing pink blooms accented with a contrasting dark red blotch; an unusual showy accent plant; absolutely must have well-drained, highly acidic and organic soil, use plenty of peat moss when planting.
Ornamental Attributes:
Cosmopolitan Rhododendron is covered in stunning clusters of lightly-scented pink trumpet-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones and a dark red blotch at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has dark green foliage. The glossy narrow leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The smooth gray bark is not particularly outstanding.
Landscape Attributes:
Cosmopolitan Rhododendron is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.
Plant Characteristics:
Cosmopolitan Rhododendron will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. 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 zones.
This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.