Rhododendron dauricum 'Jelena'

Jelena de Belder, one of the founders of Arboretum Kalmthout, donated this Rhododendron to Philippe de Spoelberch as a young plant in 1988. Over the years it has turned out that it is a very floriferous plant that blooms from mid-February to mid-March. The flowers are grouped in clusters of 3 to 6 flowers together which is slightly more than usual with Rhododendron dauricum. The funnel-shaped flowers are also more purple than an average R. dauricum. Bumblebees love the flowers and the sweet, somewhat spicy scent that they spread. The plant is very hardy and in mild winters it also keeps its leathery, elliptical leaves. The shrub remains compact: in 30 years the growth was limited to 1.2 meters high and wide.