I'm wanting to place a small (approx 2x4' or 3x3') rhododendron in a situation where it would receive some direct morning sun till 11am and then only a very limited amount of sun through the rather dense foliage of a strange old plum tree. I would have to say that in the 4 part Sun/partSun/partshade/shade division, that this would likely qualify as "full shade". Through internet search I've found some references to shade tolerant rhodos, particularly ..... http://rhodyman.net/rhodysh.html where there is reference to two that seem to fit the bill...........’Ramapo’ and ‘Snow Lady’. I’m partial to the former. My question is whether or not there is any experience with these in a similar context? In the experience of people who have dealt with these varieties, does it sound like my intended site for one of these would actually work i.e keep the plant happy enough to flower well? Cheers CeeDub
Does it matter to you when you get bloom? That could be a factor as well, Snow Lady is early, Ramapo is a bit later. There are lots of rhodos with interesting foliage, I know some people choose foliage over bloom as you have the foliage all year round. A bonus to Ramapo is it's changing foliage, but if it has too much shade it will loose it's compact form & you will get less bloom.
Good questions! The timing and colour of the flowers are not as important as the Shade viability, size and growth pattern. I really like the tendency (according to some sources) that Ramapo grows lower and wider than Snow Lady. The data I've picked up seems to find a consensus around Ramapo being approx 2ft hi and 4ft wide, whereas Snow Lady is more globular at around 3x3. I think my purpose in posting is mostly to get some corroboration for the Shade tolerance (or lack thereof) and growth pattern of these two cultivars. Depending on the feedback, I'll just take my chances and put one or the other in place for a couple of years to see how it does (and move it if necessary). I did pay some attention to foliage but only to choose cultivars with relatively small leaves (which is probably obvious given that they are both more or less dwarf plants). Any further thoughts?
I don't have a Ramapo in my collection, so can't give you any personal experience, just general experience that the more shade a rhodo has the less bloom you will get and the plant will also grow 'leggy' stretching for the light. If you have the time, check out a couple of the great public gardens near you, they might have some good examples of established shaded plants. UBC Botanical Garden has a fabulous rhodo collection, also Van Dusen.
The bigger the leaf size the more shade is suitable. A small-leaved aromatic (Lepidote) type like 'Ramapo' will not want to be shaded much (except for the root zone). An ideal situation for kinds like it is a north-facing slope with no overtopping shrubs, trees or structures. The topography casts a shadow over the planting but otherwise it gets full light.
Thanks for this..........how does 'Snow Lady' fit in with this? It seems to get more references to shade tolerance than 'Ramapo'. Not having any experience with either, I appreciate any comments specific to these two.
Snow Lady is very shade tolerant in terms of continued good blooming (ours is under a big cherry tree and somewhat crowded by other plants), but even so it will eventually get leggy if the shade is too deep. I'm not sure how it would respond to regular partial pruning to encourage bushing out. I've found that works well for some rhodos. while others just sulk. Even after 25 years of gradually increasing shade our old one was never more than 30" high and maybe 3' wide, though it leaned outward in search of more light. I love this variety for its early bloom time, fuzzy leaves and the contrast between the black stamens and crisp white flowers. Last year we finally removed the leggy old one and replaced it with a new Snow Lady.
Thanks for the specifics about SnowLady. Sounds like my choice is made........unless there are any last minute champions for Ramapo!?!!
