Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt'

Questions about rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt'

Does rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' need sun or shade?

Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late April to early May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' be planted?

3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 4 ft (120 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 5 ft (150 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' plants do I need?

At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, including the nectar, are highly poisonous if eaten and can affect the heart. Even a few leaves can make a pet seriously ill.

Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt'?

These come closest to doing what rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Camellia 'April Blush': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 8 in wider, flowers late March to early May.
• Summersweet 'Ruby Spice': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 12 in taller, flowers mid July to mid August.
• Fothergilla 'Mount Airy': the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 8 in wider, white, not pink.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What flowers after rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt'?

Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' is over by early May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Blue false indigo: from late May to mid June, 4 ft tall.
• Foxglove: from early June to mid July, 4 ft tall.
• Lupine: from late May to early July, 3½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' look like in winter?

Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' keeps its green and red leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.