When I was at Rare Find Nursery in NJ last fall they said CC was not a good grower for them. Then I went up to Maine and saw a small one that looked very healthy - couldn't resist it. We'll see how it does here - looks like we're in the same zone.

Three years in, Cherry Cheesecake is pretty iffy for me, as well. It puts out little new growth, tends to suffer somewhat from dieback in the winter and doesn't set many buds. I'm willing to struggle along still because the flowers really are unique and spectacular.

Cherry Cheesecake is an "improved" version of 'Hachmann's
Charmant' a notoriously weak grower. It's possible that the inherent flaws of Charmant remain present in Cherry Cheesecake. Another possibility - one I did not fully appreciate until prompted by Kenneth Cox's book to learn more - is problems in the tissue culture process. As far as I know, all Cherry Cheesecakes in the first wave of availability in the US came from Briggs Nursery's tissue culture operation. There's good deal that can go wrong resulting in weak plants.

It is relatively new, so the jury is still out. When Charmant came out everyone wanted it because of its gorgeous flower. But most became disappointed with it as the plant became tall and gangly. There was immediate interest in Cherry Cheesecake since it seemed to address this problem. However, your report suggests that it may have some issues. Can you describe your location, such as drainage and sun/shade.

It is a tetraploid version of Hachmann's Charmant. Hachmann's plants in Germany are usually grafted and aren't known for doing well on their own roots which is the way we usually raise them in the US. Briggs in WA introduced it and I notice that Rarefind Nursery in NJ is selling it. It is a little smaller plant than Mrs. Furnival. It is reported to need at least partial shade, especially afternoon shade.

Fertilizer and water can be problems. Liquid chemical fertilizers like Miracid are the worst. Most rhododendrons don't need much fertilizer. If fertilized at all, I recommend using something like HollyTone with organic nitrogen and only once a year at bloom time at half the rate on the package. They should only be watered when they are getting a little dry. Dry is much better than wet.

The grafted vs.own roots may be the explanation for Cherry Cheesecake problems, but I don't think it's a general problem for Hachmann varieties. Polaris, Astrid, Polarnacht, Kabarett, Goldkrone, and Fantastica have done just fine for me and other people I know of. I'm more inclined to think it's the Charmant genes or problems in the tissue culture process.

I just bought one from the clearance rack at Lowe's for $1. It looked pretty pitiful. I live in central New Mexico Zone USDA 7. I condition the soil to be a lot more acidic than our alkaline soil. I keep it covered with a milk crate so that it gets dappled Sun for now. If it lives eventually there will be some tall trees that will give it dappled shade. It has already grown new leaves out and even a few buds that look very promising. I am surprised because it's just been about a month in the ground. I really hope it lives, although most gardeners in New Mexico tell me to forget it right from the bat. I remain hopeful though.