Rhododendron... every garden should have some

[Maggi Young]

That seems exactly right, Graham...... I hope I at least said it was a R. lepidotum?!!

[Graham Catlow]

That seems exactly right, Graham...... I hope I at least said it was a R. lepidotum?!!

I won't go back through the thread to check just in case you didn't

[Maggi Young]

Very thoughtful of you, Graham, thanks! 

[Maggi Young]

I couldn't resist it... it was last June....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=10.msg155254#msg155254

I thought by the photos then that there was more of a bell shape to the flowers than there appears to be in the latet shots, though Jens said he thought they were rather flat faced..... we aere all floundering rather!   

[FrazerHenderson]

Sometimes words are inadequate when confronted by such a showing in early July...

Rhododendron maddenii ssp. crassum

[johnw]

Sometimes words are inadequate when confronted by such a showing in early July...

Very lovely Frazer. Is this usually late flowering or an aberrant late bud?  No doubt Lesley will ask for a detailed account of its fragrance.

The North Tisburies are just flowering here now.  Michael Hill, one my favourites as it is completely prostrate and the one pictured 'Late Love', about 1 foot high by 4 feet across.  A few of my own evergreen azalea hybrids are just starting to flower now.

johnw

[Hoy]

Just to remind me of the forthcoming spring:

Rhododendron bureavii has produced some flower buds (I think - as they are fatter than the other ones) buried deep among the furry petioles. Some very swollen buds on a fortunei(?) seedling promise nice flowers while the fruits from last spring's magnificent display grows near by - and an unknown seedling has a second growth in autumn as usually with this one. (Guess who has munched at the edges of the leaves!)

     

[t00lie]

For Maggi ,(and others).....

We don't have the room for many Rhodos .These first 3 ,(names unknown),were here when we arrived on the property and were incorporated into the initial garden makeover.

The last one i think is R.pumilum.

Cheers Dave.

[angie]

Dave, l like the second one. I like the dark leaves and as we have to look at the foliage for a long time to me it's as important as the flowers.
The rest of your garden in the picture looks very interesting. Maybe another picture for nosy me please.

Angie 

[arisaema]

I'm pretty dendrologically challenged, so maybe someone can help me (tentatively) identify the following three species from GonggaShan, W Sichuan?

#1 grew around 3000m in Hailuogou, a 3m tall upright shrub, the branches were covered in brown fur.

#2 and #3 grew around 3500m on GonggaShan itself, #2 was another 3m tall upright shrub, #3 was a massive 8m tall tree that had toppled.

[johnw]

Bjornar

#1 - in the Maculifera, maybe pachytricum

#2 - just a hunch, praestans

#3 - 8m high eh? thinking a species in Thomsonia, but gestalt says something not quite right.

Having stuck my neck out I am now prepared to have my head lopped off when Jens Birck comes to the rescue with the names.

johnw - 18c and rain

[birck j c]

I stick my head out too!

#1    agree

#2    watsonii

#3    prattii

hope that I am not too wrong.

jens c birck

[johnw]

Jens

Well #2 at least I got the Grandia correct.  I never remember watsonii and was so surprised you can grow at least one form of it. How does praestans differ from watsonii, they both seem to have that winged petiole that hides itself so cleverly.  Can you manage praestans in Denmark too? 

My #3 was a serious mistake by me. Thank-you for leaving head attached.  That is one whopping big prattii even if horizontal now!

johnw

[birck j c]

JohnW :How does praestans differ from watsonii

a little diff to tell here - it most comes to "gestalt"
so have a look at the  picture att.:

watsonii is bone hardy here ( at least clone : Hummel 33)
praestans will only live for a few years here

Hight of rhododendrons is a strange thing.
Looking it up in diff books give you some indications of that is "normal"-
going to China the first time I looked up roxieanum var. oreonastes
it should be up to 3 meters
So when You find a oreonastes 8 to 10 meters high ?
I think it all comes to growing conditions.

jens

[arisaema]

Thank you both, good to have names on the seed envelopes! Rh. watsonii should be bone hardy even for me, considering the altitude and climate where it grew... There's a 4th one that I forgot; also on Gongga, about 3840m, short plant maybe 50cm tall - any ideas?