Rhododendrons that look like 'Egret' and 'Maricee'?

[arisaema]

I don't know much about Rhododendrons, but I really like the two cultivars 'Egret' and 'Maricee'. Unfortunately 'Egret' is a bit on the tender side here, and I haven't been able to find 'Maricee' for sale anywhere, so I was wondering if anyone could suggest other white or pink-flowered cultivars that look similar?

[Maggi Young]

John Weagle speaks very highly of the hybrid 'Isola Bella'  : http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1723.msg44027#msg44027   But it hasn't the little waxy bells of Egret or the daphne flowers of Maricee...


'Egret' and 'Maricee' both do  well here in Aberdeen so I haven't much explored any  alternatives - will do some thinking!

[johnw]

Arisaema

Sarled is very close to Maricee. There is a hybrid called Blushing Bride, June Bride or something ...Bride, (sargentianum x kotschyi) which is very good and with a touch of pink.  R. trichostomum (some good pink forms), R. sargentianum (also a yellow form) or R. primuliflorum (growable in Upsalla) are also very good.
All are very similar to Marice.


I am not sure where this photo came from. (Sorry, it's in the garden here.  )

Glendoick Gardens should have most of these.

johnw

[arisaema]

'Isola Bella' is very beautiful, definitely one to consider, but it lacks the "airyness" of both 'Egret' and 'Maricee'. 'Egret' does survive here, but it's frozen back two years in a row, so I doubt I'll ever get much flowering from it... (Ironically both Rh. cinnabarinum and 'Cinnkeys' have remained completely unscathed!)

[arisaema]

John;

Thanks for these suggestions, the hybrid you posted is absolutely stunning, as are all the others, judging from pics on Google. I had hoped to avoid importing from Glendoick as I've already placed an order from Esveld, but doubt I'll be able to resist the temptation...

[Maggi Young]

If you want I could send cutting material later.... I grow Sarled, Egret, Maricee and primuliflorum.... or I could get my act in gear and make some cuttings here! 

[arisaema]

Thanks Maggi, I'd love some cutting material, but I'm just not sure they'd survive in the mail... 3 1/2 weeks was the average delivery time last summer on letters between the UK and Norway, I remember wondering if they had started using mules and sailships to cut their CO2 emissions

[johnw]

Another possibility is 'Liz Ann'.  To tell the truth I need a very large single malt to tell the differences between 'Sarled', 'Maricee' and 'Liz Ann'.

johnw

[birck j c]

(sargentianum x kotschyi) were given a name here in denmark
as it has become very popular here

name:   Brides bouquet

and here a photo from a local old plant

easy to grow and easy to root .
birck

[Maggi Young]

Hey, Jens, Welcome!
Bride's Bouquet is very lovely - but we know there is no shortage of good rhodos in Denmark, eh?!! 

[johnw]

Jens  - Good to get the correct name and what a specimen.  Lovely pronum in the left front corner too.  What's the name of the pruple in the upper left corner?

johnw

[birck j c]

Has been in the garden to look for it -but its long gone - so its history!!!!
jens

[birck j c]

Looking for more pronum's John?

Here Tower Court/Warren Berg form


And    Kilbride/Cooke form with the non Ericacea peatgrown Lewisia tweedy in front


Pronum is a shy flowering specie - but it can be helped.
Graft it on top of a 3 ft Cunningham's White - leaving some foliage below the graft
to get the sap flowing. The plant in the photo have flowered now for several years
- six flowering buds this year.
jens
 

[Maggi Young]

Pronum is a shy flowering specie - but it can be helped.
Graft it on top of a 3 ft Cunningham's White - leaving some foliage below the graft
to get the sap flowing. The plant in the photo have flowered now for several years
- six flowering buds this year.
jens

An interesting  experiment... but I'm not sure it was worth the effort.... the end result will never be beautiful, will it?

[birck j c]

You are quite right - it has nothing to do with being beautiful
but the challenge to the damed thing to flower.

one more photo to show the flowering
jens