Natural habitat of Rhododendron albiflorum

[Lori S.]

Hi,
At the request of johnw, here is some info about the natural habitat of Rhododendron albiflorum, so far as I can describe it...
We see it in the southern Rockies west of Calgary at high montane-to-subalpine elevations in moist forest settings, in other words, in areas where deep snow collects and is held through the winter.  Snow cover would probably persist from some time in October through to some time in June.  We most commonly see it as part of the understory in clearings in Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir forest, where there is significant soil development.  I've seen the odd, isolated plant surviving in open subalpine settings, such as in an alpine larch forest at treeline, or in a burn (where the formerly-existing forest is now gone), but this isn't the norm.  I've never seen it in any sort of alpine setting where scree or rock would be the substrate.
Climate-wise, this area has brief, cool summers.
 
Hope this helps!  I'd be pleased to try to answer specific questions, if you have any.  I've never tried to grow it.

These photos show it in typical habitat, as we see it here - high elevation forest on high snowfall, moist slopes:

[johnw]

Thanks so much Lori.  This species seems to defy cultivation in eastern North America., even some westerners don't find it a cinch.  Don't know if it's the heat and humidity of the east that knocks it flat - usually not a problem here - or whether the growing season is just too long.  Have one growing in rocky soil in an effort to keep the roots cool, it grows an inch or so a year and already has dropped its leaves - a good 6-8 weeks before the usual first frost, why that should be I can't explain.  Would it be too wet here but do have dry spells in July to September?  We get 60" a year on the coast but so would Vancouver, can't recall seeing any in BC gardens come to think of it.  Is the soil always moist where it grows?  Anyone else attempted this species?

Great pictures.

Still feeling like high summer here, and someone else's summer, relentless humidity which we are not used to with high lows 20-25 & 18-20c.

john

[Lori S.]

You're welcome, John. 
I really couldn't say with certainty if the soil is always moist where it grows.  I suspect not - at least not on the surface where the ground lichens get dry at times, though it may be deeper down. 

[Hoy]

Lori,

Although the summers where it grows are short they may be warm?

[Lori S.]

Not by the standards of warm places.   
At elevations of, say, 1900-2100m (though still subalpine) and ~51 degrees latitude in a cold, interior-continental climate, it can (and frequently does) snow at any time through the summer.   Any cold front that brings a couple of days of rain to Calgary will usually bring snow to the high country to the west.  (For example, though this was "a hot summer" in Calgary, and dry, there have been 4 notable snow falls in the high country that I can recall.)
The weather is rapidly changeable around here, so averages should be taken with a grain of salt but here's some data.  Banff townsite is lower than Lake Louise townsite, and both are lower than where this plant grows:
http://www.infobanff.com/info/?i=aw
https://weatherspark.com/averages/28088/7/Banff-Alberta-Canada