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Rhododendron 'Dusty Miller'

rhododendron 'Dusty Miller'

'Dusty Miller' is a small compact evergreen shrub to 1m tall with leaves, dark green above and silvery-white indumentum beneath; pale-pink flowers flushed red, fade to cream and are borne in late spring or early summer

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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
0.5–1 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Cream Pink Red Green Grey Silver
Summer Green Grey Silver
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Partial shade
Aspect

West–facing or North–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Ericaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises) Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus

Rhododendron can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple leaves, sometimes with a dense colourful indumentum of hairs on the lower side, and funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular flowers that may be solitary or in short racemes

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well-drained, leafy humus-rich, acid soil in part shade with shelter from cold winds; see rhododendron cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or layering in autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Hedging and screens
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Pruning group 8

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, rhododendron and azalea whitefly, rhododendron leafhopper, pieris lacebug, scale insects, caterpillars and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to various Rhododendron diseases including powdery mildews, rhododendron petal blight, rhododendron bud blast, silver leaf and honey fungus

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