Which rhododendrons bloom bloom the longest?

and which type of soil do they prefer?





how difficult are they to establish and maintain?








shade preferences, etc?





Thanks for your answers!

Which rhododendrons bloom bloom the longest?
'Crossbill' is considered to be the longest flowering Rhododendron. They are slow growing perennials and need an acid soil of pH5 or less to grow well. You can buy a soil testing kit from most garden centres. They will establish themselves quite quickly and once rooted, they will do quite nicely left alone. A feed of well rotted leaves spread around the base of the plant once or twice a year is all that is needed. They prefer dappled shade and a sheltered position because they are quite shallow rooted. Water every day especially in the summer. Two 'popular' Rhododendrons are R. Fantastica and Hachmanns Polaris.


EDIT-:They have a fairly long flowering season in general but some flower for longer than others, it all depends on the variety.