Rhododendron Percy Wiseman
A favourite yakushimanum hybrid, Rhododendron Percy Wiseman is loved for its colour-changing flowers and neat habit. Dark pink to peach buds open creamy-pink and fade through soft shades to creamy-white with a yellow throat, so the rounded trusses carry several tones at once around October. The dome-shaped plant is compact and well-branched, with glossy dark green leaves.
Percy Wiseman is an ideal rhododendron for a prominent spot at the front of a border, a rockery, or a large container on a patio or courtyard. The soft, shifting colours suit cottage gardens, woodland schemes, and shade plantings, and the tidy size fits townhouse and courtyard gardens well. It is free-flowering and rewarding for newer gardeners.
Plant in dappled shade or morning sun in free-draining, acidic soil enriched with compost or leaf mould. Yakushimanum hybrids are among the hardier rhododendrons and cope across most NZ gardens, given shelter from harsh afternoon sun and drying wind. Keep the shallow roots cool with annual mulching. Rhododendron foliage is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten in quantity.
Percy Wiseman reaches around 1 m tall and wide at maturity, staying compact with little work.
Trimming: Rhododendrons need very little pruning. After flowering in spring, remove any dead, damaged, or crossing stems and lightly shape to keep the form neat. Avoid cutting hard into old, bare wood, as rhododendrons can be slow to reshoot from it.
Deadheading: Deadheading is not essential. If you have time, snap off the spent flower trusses by hand once flowering finishes, which tidies the plant and channels energy into next season's growth rather than seed. Take care not to damage the new buds forming just below.
Fertilising: Feed in early spring with a fertiliser made for acid-loving plants, such as rhododendron, azalea, and camellia food. A second light feed after flowering supports new growth. Avoid lime and high-nitrogen lawn fertilisers, which the shallow roots dislike.
Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist, especially through the first two summers and in dry spells. The shallow, fibrous roots dry out quickly, so water deeply and mulch with bark or leaf mould to hold moisture. Rainwater is better than hard tap water where possible.
Pest Control: Thrips are the main concern in NZ, silvering the upper leaf surface in warm, dry weather, while two-spotted mite and scale insects can also appear. Treat with horticultural oil, keep plants well watered, and improve airflow around the foliage.
Disease Management: Most problems trace back to soil and drainage. Phytophthora root rot causes wilting and dieback in wet, heavy ground, so plant in free-draining soil or a raised position. Petal blight can mark the flowers in warm, humid spring weather; remove affected flowers promptly.
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