rhododendron "Shamrock"

These plants grow well in sun or in partial shade. Usually they tolerate more sun and heat if given enough moisture; in partial or light shade they need less moisture.

Decidious have woody stems (i. e. tree trunk and branches) and are also called woody plants or trees. Leaves are normally broad, soft and thin.

This group includes plants that cannot tolerate limestone (chalk) and need acidic soils to grow normally, this is soil, of which pH must lower tahn 6. According to pH value (acidity and alkalinity), soil can be either acidic, neutral or alkaline, with intermediate levels. Fertile, quality garden soils of most gardens and parks are  slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6-7) and suit most of plants. If soil contains a lot of calcium (limy soils), it is alkaline soil. Acidic soils contain much less calcium, they can be richer in humus. Some acidic soils are washed out and poor in plant nutrients. Plants like, for example most of the rhododendrons, heather, camelias and bluberries, grow normally only in distinctively acidic soils, so such soil must be attained when planting. Most of other plants do grow well in slightly acidic soils, but grow as well also in neutral soils with a bit higher calcium content.

Leaves or needles remain on the plant for several consecutive years, usually 2 to 5 years. Our descriptions contain the word evergreen.

Plant can in otherwise appropriate environment survive cold down to - 23 °C.

Moist soil usually contain morefine clay parts and less sand, more humus and organic materials, they are somewhat heavier, but not hard; water does not run away quickly but stays among soil particles and is long available to plants. There is no stagnant water, soil is airy enough. Drought occurs rarely on such positions. Plants are given more or less permanent, moderate moisture.

Woody plant, normally branched at the ground level into several side stems, usually lacks of a dominant stem. Tree top can be of different shapes, dense or thin, symetric or uneven. Most shrubs reach a height of 1 to 2 metres, but some can grow much higher (up to 8 m); some can grow into very low or carpet-like forms.