Rhododendron 2011

[johnw]

It is definitely neither vaseyi nor albrechtii or schlippenbachii.
I have come to the conclusion that it is pentaphyllum, thinking of the leaves! Thanks for reminding me!

Hoy - Here are a few shots of pentaphyllum done by others. I am pretty sure the foliage shot I attach is var. nikoense, almost identical to the var. nikoense 'Chichibu' I had.  Agreed there's of course no mistaking the foliage of schlippenbachiii once it unfurls and all the albrechtiis here are a unique shade of cerise red (posted for others, WGP form) to plum purple, most very very dark. According to Cox re: pentaphyllum "shoots arising from below rather than within the terminal bud" & "in whorls of five"; style should be glabrous, stamen count 10. I count 9 on yours so maybe count some others as the main flower may be breaking the rules.

I suppose many of these are easy for some to identify by gestalt, hard for me by gestalt if I've never owned a species. 

Michael - devilishly good Satan there.

johnw

[Hoy]

John, the reason why I think it is pentaphyllum is that I know I have planted one (if correctly named) once! I also have a schlippenbachii and it is different. vaseyii is very different and I never had albrechtii.
Here is a pic taken today: How many stamens do you count

[johnw]

Hoy - It's a beauty!  I'm afraid I can't count the stamens from that distance though. It will be interesting to see the leaves.  

At a conference in Bergen Hideo Suzuki showed pix of these Japanese azalea species in the wild, they were huge and looked like Cornus kousa from a distance. I was stunned.

Hoy - Is that one of the Hobbies in the rear?

johnw

[johnw]

Rhododendron dauricum v. nanum 'Compactum Roseum' has been in flower here for several days but the rains have been too heavy to photograph.  Seems to have the cleanest pink flowers of all the dauricums and extremely restrained growth.

johnw

[johnw]

R. christianae x jasminiflorum still in flower.

Tropic Glow x saxifragoides has been in flower a few weeks.

To the outdoors R. primuliflorum Glendoick deep pink form is already showing colour. Fabulous foliage scented of crushed strawberries.

johnw

[Hoy]

Hoy - It's a beauty!  I'm afraid I can't count the stamens from that distance though. It will be interesting to see the leaves.  

At a conference in Bergen Hideo Suzuki showed pix of these Japanese azalea species in the wild, they were huge and looked like Cornus kousa from a distance. I was stunned.

Hoy - Is that one of the Hobbies in the rear?

johnw

I was kidding, John I had counted several flowers and they all have 10 stamens (of different length and in some flowers one or two were very short).
I couldn't attain that conference in Bergen, was sorry for that!

Ad Hobbie; I am not sure what it is. I have had this shrub for several years and it takes cold winters better than mild ones. The flowerbuds are destroyed if it is too mild in the winter!

   

You certainly have some nice rhodos! I especially liked christianae x jasminiflorum!

[johnw]

[uote author=Hoy link=topic=6706.msg199758#msg199758 date=1304238797]
Hoy - Is that one of the Hobbies in the rear?

You certainly have some nice rhodos! I especially liked christianae x jasminiflorum!
[/quote]

Hoy - That one looks very much like Hobbie's 'Baden Baden' with the typical twist of the leaves. These really early ones can move buds in the autumn especially if the autumn is very long and mild, then they get zapped.  Excuse the photo here as I cannot capture reds with the Nikon Coolpix 8700.  The red is very close to your plant.  How did you capture the red so well, any tips? 

I can always send you a few cuttings of the christianae x jasminiflorum.  It's an old Vireya hybrid and very easy to root as long as drainage is extremely sharp.  They take in stride drought but not wetness or over-watering.

johnw

[Hoy]

Hoy - That one looks very much like Hobbie's 'Baden Baden' with the typical twist of the leaves. These really early ones can move buds in the autumn especially if the autumn is very long and mild, then they get zapped.  Excuse the photo here as I cannot capture reds with the Nikon Coolpix 8700.  The red is very close to your plant.  How did you capture the red so well, any tips? 

I can always send you a few cuttings of the christianae x jasminiflorum.  It's an old Vireya hybrid and very easy to root as long as drainage is extremely sharp.  They take in stride drought but not wetness or over-watering.

johnw

From your description I think it can be 'Baden Baden'. I know that bred has been for sale here years ago. We often have long mild falls and many rhodos flower then, thisone too.
Regarding capture of the red, I haven't done anything special. I use a Nicon coolpix S8000.

I say yes please and thank you for your offer of cuttings

[johnw]

Regarding capture of the red, I haven't done anything special. I use a Nicon coolpix S8000.

What settings are you using?

johnw

[Hoy]

Regarding capture of the red, I haven't done anything special. I use a Nicon coolpix S8000.

What settings are you using?

johnw

I bought the camera some months ago and I haven't changed any settings so it is as I got it. I usually use automatic exposure time and aperture and closeup to take flower pictures and that's that

[Roma]

Rhododendron calostrotum 'Gigha' one of my favourites.  The foliage is as good as the flowers.  Flowering cut short by frost this year.

[Hoy]

Rhododendron calostrotum 'Gigha' one of my favourites.  The foliage is as good as the flowers.  Flowering cut short by frost this year.

'Gigha' was one of my favorits too till I lost it may years ago!

Here are three of the 50+ rhodos flowering in my garden now.

Rh. lanatum Muncaster Castle (has it got its own species name?)




Rh. cinnabarinum Roylei group I think. It is not very floriferous but has a lot of flowers this year. Unharmed of the cold winter.




The last I can't remember the name of!

[Maggi Young]

Lovely rhodos, Trond... is the last R. wardii?

[Hoy]

Lovely rhodos, Trond... is the last R. wardii?

Thank you Maggie.
I think you maybe right, I know I have planted a wardii or wardii hybrid some time. I didn't recall it was there though

[johnw]

One of the early rhododendrons today.

R. mucronulatum ('Cornell Pink x 'Woodland Pink') listing to starboard due to a huge Chamaecyparis nootkatenseis (since removed) to its south.

johnw