As of: March 15, 2024, 8:35 a.m
By: Ines Alms
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Rhododendrons are more insect-friendly than many people think.
If you choose the right variety, you get an easy-care, year-round privacy screen.
The rhododendron is often mentioned in the same breath as the cherry laurel or forsythia when it comes to invasive plants that have no value for bees in the garden.
But both hobby gardeners and some experts absolve the beautifully flowering shrub of this accusation.
Hartwig Schepker, head of the Rhododendron Park in Bremen, explained in the
“Grünstadtmenschen”
podcast that two to three dozen different species of wild bees frequent the rhododendron flowers.
These include, for example, bumblebees, which collect nectar and pollen there.
Of course, the type of rhododendron is also important here - varieties with double flowers are less interesting for insects.
Master gardener Anna Angermeier from Bad Feilnbach also emphasizes the right choice to
BR24
.
Only the species Rhododendron ponticum is an invasive species that can displace species native to forests.
So if you keep your eyes open for the right variety, you can benefit from an easy-care plant in the rhododendron that can be easily grown as a hedge.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
New robust varieties are more flexible in terms of soil and location
Depending on the variety, rhododendrons bloom from March to July - but they are green all year round.
© McPHOTO/Imago
Rhododendrons prefer humus-rich, lime-free and acidic soil with a pH between 4 and 5.5.
If the effort involved in preparing the garden soil is too great, you can now rely on numerous lime-tolerant varieties that can also cope well with less acidic soil.
There are also robust varieties that are more flexible in terms of location and thrive in both semi-shaded places and sunny ones - but the evergreen rhododendrons feel most comfortable in semi-shaded locations.
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Rhododendrons are easy to care for - they require sufficient water and fertilizer, but usually no pruning or topiary.
When grown as a hedge, a light corrective cut immediately after flowering is sometimes useful.
The best varieties for a rhododendron hedge
Some rhododendrons have a very sprawling growth habit, so you have to pay attention to the correct planting distance.
In addition, the more branches a plant has, the fuller it is and the more privacy it offers.
Not all rhododendrons are suitable as hedges, but the
Rhododendron Center De Valouwe
recommends the following varieties for this purpose, for example, which branch evenly:
Rhododendron 'Catawbiense Grandiflorum'
Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans'
Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White'
Rhododendron 'Jacksonii'
Rhododendron 'English Roseum'
Rhododendron 'Lee's Dark Purple'
Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla'
If you combine different types of rhododendrons in a hedge, you can enjoy different flowering times depending on your choice.
The best time to plant a rhododendron hedge is autumn, but spring is also possible.