Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney

Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney is a large, evergreen hybrid rhododendron with glorious rose-pink flowers. It’s perfect for a large mixed border or a well-watered container.  Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney was bred in Whitney, Washington USA in 1954. It’s proved a firm favourite in UK gardens for its vigorous evergreen leaves and pretty blooms. 

The fleshy textured evergreen foliage grows up to 11 centimetres long on strong woody stems that tend to grow outwards as well as up. In late spring and early summer large pink buds appear in clusters that bloom into funnel-shaped deep pink flowers with brown dappling beneath the petals. The blooms are large measuring up to ten centimetres in diameter. The flowers grow in ball-shaped trusses 10 to 20 flowers each. Flowers fade and fall before autumn, but its textured foliage remains all year. 

Height And Spread Of Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney
This hybrid is a tall variety that eventually reaches a bushy height of 4 metres eventually. This is a vigorous fast-growing shrub. It needs room to grow so choose its final spot carefully. 

How Hardy Is Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney
Rhododendrons are hardy shrubs and Anna Rose Whitney is no exception. It can survey harsh sub-zero winters if its roots are well-drained. It is fairly pest resistant and will survive droughts when established but may not flower without sufficient water. 

How To Use Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney
This rhododendron is a perfect evergreen specimen with real character. Its large showy blooms can’t be missed. It works well as part of a woodland garden or mixed border with its sister Rhododendron Van and will grow in a large well-watered container in a sheltered spot.  As it has no scent it’s a good choice for hayfever sufferers and its evergreen foliage brings shape and colour to a bare winter garden.

How To Care For Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney
Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney is a woodland plant that prefers partial shade and damp soil that’s humus-rich. It grows best in acidic soils and does not perform well in chalk. If you love this shrub but have chalky soils consider container gardening with ericaceous compost and frequent waterings. There is no need to prune Rhododendron Anna Rose Whitney other than removing any broken stems and dead flowers. If you wish to restrict its height, prune out crowded shoots in spring. 

Treated to a yearly application of rich leaf mould mulch on acid soil this rhododendron is a strikingly dramatic and fuss-free shrub.