Rhododendron 'Pekka'

One of the best hybrids from the Finnish rhododendron breeding programme is called ’Pekka’, after the Helsinki City Gardener Pekka Jyränkö, who created an important test garden for the programme in the Helsinki suburb of Haaga.

'Pekka' was crossed by putting pollen from one of the old Smirnow Rhododendron (R. smirnowii) hybrids produced by the German Seidel, growing at Mustila, onto the Mustila Rhododendron (R. brachycarpum var. tigerstedtii).