Rhododendron 'Maruschka'

evergreen azalea

• Position: partial shade
• Soil: moist, well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compost
• Rate of growth: slow to average
• Flowering period: May and June
• Flower colour: magenta-red
• Other features: evergreen foliage colours up in winter
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Bred in Germany, this tough, low-growing, evergreen shrub is smothered in bright red flowers in early summer. The normally rich green leaves, often take on a bronze tint and this becomes more pronounced in colder weather, when the foliage can turn dark red. An ornamental addition to the front of a shrub border, it will also flourish in a pot fill with ericaceous compost, provided it is kept well watered.
  
  
• Garden care: Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of leaf mould around the base of the plant each spring.