Japanese Azalea 'Babuschka'

Japanese Azalea 'Babuschka' (Rhododendron 'Babuschka') is a shrub of little roses. Its densely double flower, 4.2 cm across, gathers 14-20 carmine-pink petals into three whorls with a barely visible dark-red speckling, and by late May there are so many rosettes that the foliage vanishes completely.

Plant it at the front of partly shaded groups, in heather gardens and containers, most often paired with white cultivars. In ten years the shrub holds about 0.55 m tall and 0.5 m wide, growing upward rather than outward, and it withstands frosts down to -25 °C.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: A German cultivar with a Slavic name: each flower gathers three whorls of petals.
• Dimensions: In 10 years it forms a dense little bush 0.55 m tall and 0.5 m wide.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -25 °C (USDA zone 5b).
• Flowering: From late May to mid-June it opens double, carmine-pink flowers of 4.2 cm.
• Light: Happiest in partial shade or dappled light: morning sun, a little shade at midday and a snug spot sheltered from strong wind.
• Soil: Loves acidic soil at pH 5.0-5.5, rich in humus and evenly moist. The one thing it will not take is standing water, so good drainage is a must.
• Watering: Water moderately but regularly: the shallow roots dislike drying out and standing water in equal measure.
• Care: Mulch with bark or pine needles, leave the soil under the bush undisturbed, and trim the spent blooms right after flowering.
• Landscape use: Low edging, heather and rock gardens, underplanting for rhododendrons; lovely in groups and containers in partial shade.
• Origin: A Hans Hachmann cultivar from 'Elsie Lee' x 'Purpurkissen' (1988), registered in 1999.