Rhododendron 2015

[Maggi Young]

Great looking hybrid - love those big guys.

[Tomasz Cyba]

That's great news on Rh. sinofalconeri C&H 7183. Everyone has been recommending it as one to try in cold places like here.  What was the lowest temperature it endured?

-13C. It was a mild winter, so we'll have to wait and see how it will look like after a harsh one. I hope that -20C that it will likely see one day won't kill it.

John, that mac hybrid is stunning indeed. I have a brach x mac plant from Bengt Carlsson, but a small one, still in pot.

[johnw]

Tomasz

-13c is pretty balmy for a low, at least your plant will have a good root sytem established before real winters return.

Do keep us informed when your bT x mac from Bengt flowers.  So far the cross has only produced whites, we need is someone to do the reverse mac x bT.  The late John Basford of Brodick said the mother should always be the yellow if you want the yellow to appear in future generations.

john

[Leena]

Great looking hybrid - love those big guys.

As do I, I love those leaves.

[ian mcdonald]

Inverewe Gardens is a good place to see rhodos. My favourite is R. sinogrande. You need a field and a lot of years to see it flower though.

[Thorkild Godsk]

Rhododendron
I have a little trouble with the name of this Rhododendron.
Can it be R. Towheat minus white ludlowii?
About 50 cm high.
Thorkild.

[Maggi Young]

Not sure, Thorkild- but I do know that there is a little hybrid called   'Towhead' - which is very similar to a Scottish  name too and  means, in English,  string head  -   that  is - someone with yellow hair. 

[johnw]

Here's 'Towhead' in Halifax.  Slightly pinched base of the flowers, foliage sometimes with blemishes and cranky to grow.  Tough as nails however.  While the unopened buds promise a pale yellow they open white.  Your buds don't show this and that could be our difference in latitude - 44 here. Think we can safely say yours is 'Towhead'.

johnw

[Thorkild Godsk]

Thanks for reply.
Maggi and Johnw.
Thorkild

[johnw]

Rhododendrons in flower today, the 14th of November.

1 - 'Bridal Bouquet', a Pogonantha
2 - hipphaeoides 'Haba Shan'
3 - pseudochrysanthum x proteoides
4 - trichostomum (Jen's Birck pink f.)

Not a rhodo but one very showy plant for autumn colour

5 - Enkianthus perrulatus 'Compactus', less than a foot high at 25 years old.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

I really enjoy the "out of season" rhodo flowers.

Enkianthus perrulatus 'Compactus', less than a foot high at 25 years old.

A little gem, there, John.

[Yann]

I can't agree more ,what a foliage

[Gabriela]

Wow! that Enkianthus is one to look out for. But of course now I'm dreaming about a few Rhododendron in our new garden - did you prepare
special beds for them?

[johnw]

No preparation here as the soil is acidic, just a top-dressing of needles, bark mulch or oak leaves every few years.

Here's that Enkianthus perrulatus 'Compactus' today. By the way it flowers lightly and seldomly and is impossible to propagate by conventional means, root cuttings best I'm told.

johnw

[Gabriela]

It looks like a fire bowl! probably it's even glowing in the dark
I am not that lucky with the soil here...