RHODODENDRON 'PERCY WISEMAN

pinkpeony

I'm considering 2 of these to grow in large containers but think the situation may be wrong - the suppliers website states full sun/partial shade -confusing for my addled brain i'd always thought rhodo's like shady situations but when I saw that full sun was okay I want them either side of a sunny pergola please help?   

Marlorena

..a stunning dwarf rhododendron.. unfortunately it does not tolerate drying out, so it all depends how diligent you can be with the watering... and that means collected rainwater too... hard tap water is no good unless treated with acid supplement..

..part shade is better ultimately, but full sun is doable if you are prepared to keep up the watering...otherwise it won't set buds for following season...
...  I had to get rid of my rhododendrons because of last summers drought.. which is continuing here where I am.. some died on me last year... and I just can't do the watering they need... but a most lovely plant when happy..
..it flowers for less than 3 weeks, so it's the foliage and new buds you need to keep going throughout the summer...

Ladybird4

Sorry Marlorena but Percy Wiseman is not a dwarf rhododendron. It is one of the Japanese yakushimanum rhodies. A real beauty. Mine is over 5 feet (in old money) tall and still going. It is situated in sun/partial shade on the north side of my house. I would not recommend it to be grown in a pot for any great length of time. It needs to be in the garden.

pinkpeony

thank you for your comment  - this is from the suppliers website

"One of the most popular 'yak' hybrids it's suitable for a sunny, shrub border with humus-rich, acid soil or a large container filled with ericaceous compost."

Ladybird4

Yours is more advanced than mine M-U. The buds on mine are just about to break. Its a beautiful example.

Marlorena

Yakushimanums are usually referred to as dwarf.. as Rhododendrons go.. If it's only ever going to be in a container, then it's never going to be anything other than dwarfed... as obviously one would be root pruning and containing the plant over any number of years...  compact and bushy is a  more appropriate term though...

..that's a gorgeous specimen above.. but look how old it is..

https://www.rhododendrons.co.uk/rhododendron-percy-wiseman-agm/p1382

edhelka

Rhododendrons.co.uk lists it as "Height after 10 years: 125-150cm" which is small for a rhododendron, they have it in the "compact category". Calling it dwarf or not, I would say, is just a semantics.

I bought one this year, it's just starting flowering and absolutely beautiful. I wouldn't grow it in a container or not for a long time (but it can be fine for 3 years easily).

Yviestevie

I have Percy Wiseman in a large container and it's doing well.  Been in there for 3 years now. Not sure how well it would do in direct sun all day though.

Ladybird4

Beautiful!

Marlorena

That's very nice Yviestevie… I think dwarf ones like these look good in those oak half barrels..

Incidentally, I was brought up with these below... so to me, Yak hybrids are most definitely ''dwarf''.. [photo taken recently from Enys gardens, Cornwall]...

Ladybird4

I have several dwarf rhodies including, Impedimentum; Wee Bee; Shamrock and Arctic Tern. They will happily live in pots but Percy Wiseman is a beautiful choice pinkpeony.