Rhododendron 'Polar Bear'
Family - Ericaceae
Category - Shrub
Hybrid Parents - Rhododendron auriculatum x Rhododendron decorum subsp. diaprepes
Origin - Raised in Ascot, England
Discovered By - J.B. Stevenson at Tower Court
Year of Introduction - 1926
Season of Interest - Summer
Hardiness - H5
Height - up to 5m
Width - up to 4m
Location - The Woodland Walk
Description: A large-sized, Evergreen Shrub with a bushy, rounded habit. Long, pale green leaves are oblong to Elliptic in shape and have deep red petioles. Large, trumpet-shaped flowers are glistening white with a bright green to yellow blotch at the base of each flower. The flowers are sweetly scented and produced in trusses in mid to late summer.
Rhododendron 'Polar Bear' was bred by J.B. Stevenson, owner of Tower Court (a home and garden) in Ascot, England. Eventually, his entire collection was moved to Windsor Great Park.
Flower:
Large, fragrant flowers are pure white with a bright green to yellow blotch at the base of each bloom. The flowers are trumpet-shaped and produced in trusses in July and August.
Flower colour: White
Flower shape: Trumpet-shaped flowers in trusses
Flowering time: July, August
Foliage:
Long, pale green leaves are oblong to Elliptic in shape and have deep red petioles.
Foliage Senescence: Evergreen
Foliage Shape: Oblong to elliptic
Propagation:
Cuttings, grafting.
Cultivation:
Best in partial shade to shade in fertile, moisture retentive soil that is well drained. Rhododendron 'Polar Bear' prefers an acidic soil.