Rhododendron - March 2008

[Maggi Young]

It is a slow start to the rhodo season here in Aberdeen. We have got good flowering on the hybrid 'Cilpinense', which I showed just coming into flower in the "chilly" thread and I have managed to miss taking a photo of R. dauricum, which is over now     Elsewhere in Aberdeen gardens there are good bushes of old red hybrids, with R. barbatum blood and fine shows from R. praecox and the variety 'Tessa' .... here in our own garden however, the flowers are few. There are one or two early flowers on R. hippophaioides, a plant which will not flower too well this year, even later next month when it is "supposed" to flower.... it has done exceptionally well in the last two years and so I do not grudge it a year off!
Rhododendron elegantulum, a plant which obligingly puts out flowers at all sorts of odd times throughout the year to  surprise us, is starting into its main spring display with the opening of rich pink buds, fading to a sweet blush pink.
Rhododendron thompsonii  collected by Ron McBeath, tends to suffer from the fierce winds we usually get a s its flowers are opening, resulting in that interesting phenomenon, "Hedgeius privetus rhododrendriflora" as all the large, blood red flowers get blown into the privet hedge behind the plant. I though it wise to take this flower indoors to show you .
On the smaller end of the scale are the charming hybrid, R. 'Ptarmigan' with its clusters of white flowers, this is another plant which is obliging with its gift of extra flowers in the late summer.
The smallest offering today is from R. lapponicum parviflorum, Japanese form.

A couple of shots of all four together, to give you an idea of relative scale.

[Lvandelft]

Maggi, that's nice seeing you coming out of the (BD) shade with your favourite plants. 
I remember having Ptarmigan many years in our retail list, because I wanted many people should have this in their gardens.

[Maggi Young]

Thank you , Luit 
I agree that R. ' Ptarmigan ' is an excellent garden plant. For those who do not know it, this is a hybrid, made by Peter Cox of Glendoick between R. microleucum and R. leucapsis.  The flowers are a good size in relation to the foliage and the plant makes about 70cms across by 35cms high in 20 years, so it will fit into most gardens...even the small gardens of modern houses! 

[David Nicholson]

I love Rhododendron time. Lovely shots Maggi.

[johnw]

Rhododendron thompsonii  collected by Ron McBeath,

Maggi - Can you tell us more about the history of this McBeath collection and whether or not is hardier than other thomsoniis?

I particlaurly like the forms with a green calyx.

I grow the Ludlow & Sherriff #2847 and it is surprisingly hardy. It promises almost 20 buds this year at 2.7 meters high, slow but worth the wait.  It usually blooms in late April or early March so you are far ahead of us, but so is most of the civilized world.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Interesting to see 'Ptarmigan' flowering with the others. Here, in the deep south it flowers before any other except `Christmas Cheer,' mid winter.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Can't resist inserting a picture of a Rhodo I have flowering here at the moment...... Rhododendron lineariifolia always starts flowering for me in autumn (no idea whether it is supposed to or not, but this is the third year it has done it) then sporadically through winter before it's main flowering in spring.  And the plant is only a couple of feet high in an 6 inch pot too.  One of those Rhodos that the majority of people who see it would never know that it WAS a Rhodo as it looks so unusual.

Anyway, I hope no-one minds me putting this here in the March Rhodo thread, even though I'm a Southern Hemispherer.

Enjoy.

[Maggi Young]

Great to see your R. linearifolia, Paul. 


John, the R. thomsonii McBeath form is McB. 1279 seed.... but I cannot remember/find any further details.
Can't even remember how old it is now....about twenty years or so  .......sorry, my record keeping is almost non-existant 
I'll drop Ron an email and ask if he recalls details....

The plant is a handsome thing, the bark is a good colour and leaves persist for over two years, mostly. Only problem is that flower pedicels are VERY brittle when the flowers first emerge and if strong winds hit at that time then all the flowers can be blown off. If they escape that, however, and can open fully without high winds, then the flowers are large, deep red and long-lasting. They have a small red calyx, rather than the large green calyx often seen on other forms.

[Lesley Cox]

Paul I don't know much about R. linearifolium but when I was in the Blue Mountains last April, Don Schofield's large plant was in full bloom so I guess it must be autumn-flowering. Oh to be in Aussie, now that autumn's here, to paraphrase someone. 

[ian mcenery]

Maggi Nice to see some rhodos beginning to flower even if this weekend will finish of the flowers. Here are a couple of mine R calophytum with its large leaves and its unusial flowers. This ones new foliage is in my opinion as good as the flowers and R arboreum Schilling? well that was on the label and Tony Schilling is well known in the world of Rhodos. Whether this is a true name or a selection that originated from him I am not sure but a nice deep pink and the usual nice leaves and plant shape - about 8 ft after 25 years.

[Maggi Young]

Ian, two very smart plants you have there.  I adore the calophytum flowers... like ice cream sundaes! 

I'm hoping that the weather won't be too bad, though the last two days have been pretty cold here... never got above 1 degree on Tuesday, though it was slightly better today.... my R. pachysanthum is just opening   

[johnw]

Smashing calophytums Ian.

I hope the weather co-operates and you don't get the 36 hour windstorm we had here the past few days.

johnw

[Luc Gilgemyn]

R. calophytum is a true beauty Ian ! Any chance of producing a picture of the whole plant ??

[Paul T]

That calophyum is beautiful!!  Love the flower and foliage combination.  Another one I haven't seen before, or at least don't recall anyway.

[David Nicholson]

Smashing calophytums Ian.

I hope the weather co-operates and you don't get the 36 hour windstorm we had here the past few days.

johnw

If it's moving East John we are sure to get it early next week!