find a local arboretum.. and go see what they can grow ... in your area ...

i have one.. came with the house ... does just fine ... its on the NW corner facing the prevailing howling winter winds ... the garage faces due north, but it gets a few hours of sun in early evening in summer .... thru sunset

no clue what it is ...

i have not added others.. as my sand is not conducive to A's for the most part .. so why fight it ...

ken
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So this Rhododendron you have keeps it leaves all winter?

What leaf color does it exihibit in winter? Ver dark green, mid-green?

ask me in february ...

they are green... its near zero by then ... i have never really stopped to gauge the intensity of the leaf color .... and usual ambient snow wont make it easy ....

ken

There is a surprising number of evergreen rhododendrons hardy to -25, as long as reasonable care is taken to protect them from excessive sun and wind. Among the Z5a rhodendrons are: the old "iron clad" varieties, many David Leach hybrids, hybrids from Helsinki University in Finland,recent U of Connecticut hybrids and many, many more. Every blossom color is available except yellow and leaf color can vary from deep forest green to olive. The website of the American Rhododendron Society and the Massachusetts Rhodendron Society have good if necessarily incomplete. lists which include low winter temperature ratings.

Looks like PJM is the typical choice (although I never see them around here, mainly because of our soil).

I went to the ARS site and they have about a 100 cultivars that are -20 to -25 hardy...ah, so which ones maintains green to dark"ish" green foilage in the winter?

Probably just going to have to go to the nursery to check it out...even their inventory is extremely limited.

check out the offerings of Rare Find Nursery. Extremely complete.

All have green to darkish green foliage - the near black color of PJM is atypical. Keep in mind, though, that any broad leafed rhododendron will tightly curl its foliage in response to cold, so the color is not readily apparent.

If PJM will not/does not grow in your area because of soil or other factors, chances are none will. PJM is probably the toughest and most adaptable of all rhododendrons. It is evergreen, but its leaves are much smaller than what most people think of as an evergreen rhododendron. Check with your County Extension Service or state university to see what they may advise.

PJM is readily available around here but I don't want that very dark plum color in the winter.

I came across Mist Madiden...looks promising.

There is a local garden center that brings in many varieties in the spring. Now that I know most do keep a green to dark green foilage in the winter I'll just pick one out that meets my size requirments and at least -20 hardy.

I'd think Rhodo would be a much more interesting choice for winter color/structure in the winter vs. a boxwood.

Would most agree?

I would have a grouping of 3 under a bay window in the front yard (twist and shout hydrangea and white meidland rose are mixed in the same area...no winter interest so I thought thowing in some boxwoods, but now Rhododendron, would help solive the witner interest issue).

Rhododendron vs. boxwood is completely a matter of personal taste. I find boxwood boring and uninteresting except as an edging for other plants. There are plenty of people, though, who dislike the winter appearance of large-leafed rhododendrons. There's no denying that the tightly rolled leaves look pretty forlorn and distressed on a cold day. Mist Maiden is a fine rhododendron that originated with the late David Leach, a pioneer in developing cold-hardy rhododendrons. He believed it was a selection of the species r. yakusimanum; others believe it is a hybrid.

Since I really wan't find any Rhododendrons planted around here does anyone happen to have a picture of what they look like in the winter?

I found a couple pics of what PJM looks like. From I could tell they didn't look tigtly rolled, but did droop.

give me the link that you saw the winter PJM.. and i will tell you how it compares to mine ...

cant say i do much pic taking in jan/feb ..

but basically.. curled.. dulled... and look like they are all going to fall off and and the whole plant die ... but that one.. never does ...

i am surprised the orange azaleas didnt catch your eye ...

ken

Link below for the fall/winter colored PJM.

Even this is more interesting than a blank slate of bare stems...I guess.

I thought my Twist and Shout would provide more winter interest (nothing like Paniculata) plus the rabbits ate em' up.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:283221}}

that scale cracks me up ... lol ...

dont you hate when they sell you a 5 footer.. and then you sink the ball.. and all of a sudden you have a 3.5 footer ....

that looks consistent with mine.. but even more curled on zero degree days ...

ken

Olga Mezitt is a very nice small-leafed rhodie for the Upper Midwest. Aglo is the dwarf form, same color. Leaves turn dark in winter but hardly droop. Flowers of both are a bright pink, not the vile magenta of PJM.

I would be wary of taking Eastern US advice since Midwest conditions are much drier in winter for the same zone.

Rabbits can eat a whole rhdodendron bare in one winter night.

Here is a link that might be useful: retail rhodies avail in Minneapolis area, zone 4

This is how rhododendrons react to extreme cold:

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Not a great look if right at your entryway or front and center and highly visible. Smaller leaf rhodies (like PJM) tend to be much more resistant to this reaction. Look for those plants rated as H1 - these should be hardy to at least zone 4 and less inclined to have bad reactions to prolonged cold.

The attached website (that of a GW member) has a lot of info appropriate to growing rhodies in cold climates and comes with a listing of suggested cultivars. Scroll down to the listing of "hybrid rhododendrons" and you'll automatically be connected to a listing of "ironclads" or extremely hardy rhody selections.

Here is a link that might be useful: Henning's rhody site

Yeah not a big fan of the large leaf eitherway.

Aglo looks like a good choice...local nursery will be carrying it next spring.

If I don't go that route, basically looking for:

Pink flower
Small leaf
hardy to -25
Green winter color prefereable
3-4' x 3-4'

today .... 11 degrees .... winds 10 to 15 MPH .... windchill somewhere around 3 degrees

i have been pondering this post .... you think of this as a negative... i find it rather fascinating over the course of the winter.. how they curl and uncurl .... subject to ambient temps ....

points of interest on a given plant... are a plus.. never a negative to me, i guess ... as long as the change isnt death ... lol ...

looks like its going to be a big show next season ... them some big buds ...

ken
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ps: it wasnt fun getting you the pix... lol ...

I agree, definately a point of interest. I wonder which cultivar you have. PJM would have turned a dark purple by now.

Since posting...the 'Aglo' cultivar looks promising in regard to hardiness, color and size.

Thanks for posting these! The newer red growth looks cool too...its almost Christmasy!

i will try the name that plant forum.. link below

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' .. apparently an old standard ...

link below

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

"Not a great look if right at your entryway or front and center and highly visible."

I would file this statement under "Who Cares" since most of the landscape looks dead this time of the year. Rhodies only curl like that in extremely cold temps and who in the right mind is outside inspecting the landscape in that kind of weather. Even guests coming over for the holidays are thinking about just getting inside and not what your rhodies look like around your front steps.

The answer to the original post is to plant one of the Ironclads. These are broadleaf rhodies that can survive the worst of the worst that Mother Nature can throw at them and still look good and bloom well. Just do a Google Search and pick out the bloom color that you want. Everyone has Ironclads in New England and they take high wind, extremely cold temps, moisture extremes, etc. in stride.

As a correction, in cold weather (below 15 F) the small leaved rhodies shrivel just as much as the others. Just look like sticks.

I admire the winter landscape. One purpose for adding evergreen is to add interest while deciduous plants and perennials are dormant. I think the idea here is that the entryway is intended as a focal point, and with holiday decor I have to say it can be quite stunning compared to the absence of evergreens, and barren landscape.

From a standpoint of impact in the winter, I think yews and boxwood have more to offer than a rhody, but my comments of course are subjective. If it's the look you are going for, make it work.

tree oracle took the words out of my mouth. When I think of winter beauty it is bare trees outlined against the sky (seen well from inside the house) and the snow changing the shapes of every part of the landscape. The familiar looks new, dark and light contrasts are illuminated and what is left of color- rosehips, crabapples, winterberry, as well as shades of green - is accentuated. There are reasons I might not plant a large leaved rhodie in front of the house: structure can be a little lumpy, difficult to paint and rake behind; making the wrong choice and planting one -roseum- that will get 20 feet high. But curling leaves in frigid weather is not one of them. I don't look so good either at minus zero.