Rhododendron... every garden should have some

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Joakim, that is the plant I know as 'Christmas Cheer' ... perhaps it has been decided to drop the first part of the name because people were disappointed when it did not flower at Christmas ??!!

[ashley]

PS they has seed heads so I wonder if they flowered again in early Autumn or it takes a looong time to develop seeds on rhods so that it is the narmal spring flowes that now set the seeds?

Joakim, I can see only flower buds here.  Under my conditions at least dead-heading rhodos makes no difference whatever, so might only be worthwhile if tidying a plant in a prominent position. 

[Maggi Young]

Hmm... I assumed that Joakim had seen seed heads, under the foliage.... now i am wondering if that was wrong and he is mistaking buds for seedheads?? Will get photo of seedheads, to avoid doubt for all!


Some general points
For most rhodos, deadheading does not make a huge difference, but, in some, the production of new growth is inhibited for a long time if seed heads remain. the seedheads  can also look quite untidy and since most of us do not want the seed, it is common practice to dead head.

Lots of rhodos make out of season flowers and the question is often asked, " should these flowers be removed or will this weaken the plant or reduce next spring's flowering? "  The answer to all that is NO! We have never found that flowering out of season, giving very welcome extra blooms in summer or autumn, has adversely affected the "normal" spring flowering. If a rhodo is giving you these extra flowers, just enjoy them!   Azaleas seem less keen to give bonus flowers!

[ashley]

Thanks Maggi, I agree completely about dead-heading.  In my case it's just laziness  

[Joakim B]

On the pics there is mostly buds since I took off most of the seed heads prior to taking the pics. The rest I took after.
I just hoped that the seed heads were an indication that they had bloomed in Autumn as well but the size of the seeds make me realize that it was just not the case as well as Your comments.

Maggi Azaleas of the "indoor type" (pardon my latin) is growing well out in pots here in Portugal and give a Spring and a Autumn flowering all of them. So here they give two.

Thanks for all the information ! !

Joakim

[Maggi Young]

Here are a couple of shots of Rhododendron seed heads/pods for informtion:
Seed pods on Rhododendron rex ssp. fictolacteum


Two shots of the pods on Rhododendron ciliatum




click the pix... they will enlarge

[Maggi Young]

You will also see from the pic of the rex fictolacteum how small his leaves are.... they should be MUCH bigger  but this reduction in size is due to lack of water and more exposure to the eastern winds than he would like, poor soul. I should water him more, on a more regular basis.... mea culpa

[Paul T]

Rhododendron.... I have some!!

Flowering time here but I haven't uploaded all the pics as yet.  I can load one for starters, but I don't recall it's name.....



It isn't as green as in the pic, just a lovely soft yellow.  It had a woman's name from memory, and will quite possibly know it when I hear it.

Also flowering now or recently are/were Pink Silk (dwarf pink),  Taurus (glowing red with pink overlay), 'Tyermanii (large species style with ruffled white flowers and peeling bark) and fastuosum flore-pleno (double mauve).  Also another I've forgotten the name of momentarily.  Dwarf plant with interesting oval leaves and large pale pink flowers.  Name like 'Beverly' or something like that but I'd have to look it up.  Definitely Rhodo time here.  Trying to work out where I could fit one I saw in the nursery the other day..... Markeeta's Prize absolutely glows in deep pink.  The problem is where to fit it, particularly as I still have to plant Bibiana (dark red).

Then of course there are all the various azaleas, both evergreen and mollis varieties.... all of which are technically Rhodos anyway aren't they? 

[Paul T]

Here's some recent or present flowerings in the Rhodos at my place....


Rhododendron lineariifolium flowers here from autumn until spring, with it's main flowering Spetember/October.  A little cutie, but not immediately recognisable as a Rhodo.  The flowers behind it are Clematis 'Sweethart' which is a ground cover hybrid between Australian and New Zealand species.  Very floriferous!!


This is Rhododendron 'Markeeta's Prize' and is perhaps a little pinker than the picture.  A very strong red-pink.


Another unknown (hopefully someone can help with names of this and the one above) which I bought recently because I had never come across a colouration like it before.  No idea unfortunately how big it will grow, because I have no name for it.  Lovely creamy yellow (rather than a strong yellow) with consistent red spotting on all petals rather than just a darker lip etc.  Good round flowerheads as well, so will make a strong show when established.

I also bought on my trip up north on Thursday a wonderful hose-in-hose salmon orange mollis azalea, but not sure whether I should be posting it here or not.

Enjoy.

[mark smyth]

For those in the UK Ireland's 'Garden Heaven' magazine features Glendoik Rhodos this month

[Kenneth K]

Tyerman. There are a couple of wardii hybrids with just that colour. Most of them have a name with "Gold" to start with. I have in my garden one called 'Goldbukett'. The buds of it are copper yellow and it opens to a creame yellow inside. Maybe your unknown yellow could be that or another of those wardii hybrids. A couple of other examples are Goldika, Goldkrone and Graf Lennart.
Two pictures from my garden of 'Goldbukett'

[Paul T]

Kenneth,

Thanks for the info.  The big difference between yours and mine in that mine doesn't have a distinct lip.  That is why I was so taken with the flowers on this one and bought it without name or size etc.  All the petals are identically spotted, giving a very different effect to the yellow with a dark red lip (which is also rather nice I might add!!  ).  I'm looking forward to mine growing and making a wonderful display in the future, but I would be liking a name so that I could prepare for how large it will become!! 

[ian mcenery]

Paul is the colour correct in your photo, if the colour a slightly deeper shade of yellow  it is in other respects a little like R Rosa Stevenson. I hope I have the spelling correct

[Paul T]

Ian,

I think my picture is actually a little more yellow than the real flower, although that could easily be my computer monitor, as it is dodgy and needs replacement.  I know my monitor shows things darker than they should be, so perhaps you may be seeing it somewhat lighter than I do.  It has a good round head of flowers, if that is any help?  Nothing at all "loose" about the flowerhead on this one.  You give me a name to start checking on though.  Thanks.

[Maggi Young]

Paul, the leaves could tell you a good deal about how big it may grow.. what are they like?