buds violet red, opens to white with green brown blotches
Dimensions
3 by 3 feet (HS)
Maintenance
I like to dig a large hole, not to deep and mix the soil with 50% peat moss or compost. Plant in a slight mound for good drainage. Add a cup or two of Ammonia sulfate (or any other acid producing fertilizer) and some regular fertilizer. Water in good and keep moist. Mulch will help to slow down the loss of water. I like to add acid fertilizer in the fall and spring. Also you can use a liquid acid fertilizer such as Mir-acid. Any pruning should be done right after flowering.
Cultivar Origin
"Developed by Peter M.A. Tigerstedt and Marjatta Uosukainen at the University of Helsinki, it is a cross of Rhododendron smirnowii and Rhododendron catawbiense var. album".(#144) Named after a character in the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, and music by Sibelius.
Notes & Reference
#144-Missouri Botanical Gardens web site (www.missouribotanicalgarden.org),
Finish Rhododendron Society