Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Rhododendron 'Anah Krusche'
Anah Krusche Rhododendron
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Height
- 3 to 6 ft
- Width
- 3 to 4 ft
- Flower color
- Reddish-purple to lavender-purple, often with a deep purplish-red blotch
- Foliage color
- Glossy, leathery evergreen leaves
- Bloom time
- Late midseason (around April to May)
- Light
- Part shade to dappled shade
- Water
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Low to moderate; shallow root system benefits from mulch to retain moisture; deadhead spent flowers after bloom
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Showy spring flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies; evergreen foliage offers year-round shelter and cover for birds and small wildlife
About this plant
Rhododendron 'Anah Kruschke' is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with dense dark green foliage and a rounded habit. In mid- to late spring, it bears dome-shaped trusses of widely funnel-shaped flowers, each about 3 inches across. Blooms are strong reddish-purple with a deeper purplish-red blotch on the upper lobe, creating a rich display that often lasts from April into May.
Bred in Clackamas County, Oregon, by Franz Kruschke and named for his wife Anah, this hybrid combines the cultivar 'Purple Splendour' with a seedling of Rhododendron ponticum. Introduced by Wright's Nursery in 1973, it is known for dependable flowering and evergreen foliage that fits well into informal hedges, mixed shrub borders, and woodland-style plantings.
Works well in
Shade Gardens · Foundation Plantings · Native Gardens · Woodland Gardens
Companion plants
Fatsia · Skimmia · Tiarella · Camellia · Trillium · Lily-of-the-valley
Design tip
The rich reddish-purple flowers of ‘Anah Kruschke’ can bring depth to a shade garden, especially among plants with lighter green or variegated foliage. Its naturally rounded shape also gives mixed plantings a sense of fullness without making them feel overly formal.
