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Some Rhododendron produce red or reddish foliage and they have fascinated me for a long time. I have planted a number of them in the garden with with varying degrees of success.
'Elizabeth Red Foliage' went in as a young plant, struggled for a year and then died. I would try it again if I got the chance, now the garden is slightly less unruly. Riased by E. Ostbo some time before 1958 of uncertain parentage but probably derived from the Elizabeth Group. The International Rhododendron Register says: "Fls 15/lax truss, funnel-campanulate, 70 x 90mm, with 5 flat-edged lobes, strong red (46A) in bud, opening vivid red (48B) throughout, with strong red speckles (46A) on all lobes. Calyx minute. Lvs elliptic, 90-100 x 40mm, oblique cuneate at the base, with decurved margfins, dark yellowish green (139A) or moiderate olive green (147A) above, hairs aboive aNnd below at first, later only below, moderate reddish orange (171A). New growth red (185). Shrub 0.9 - 1.1m in 10 years. Early to mid April and regularly in the autumn." |
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| 28thJune 2014 | ||