By Will Clausen, Horticulturist & Assistant Curator  Deciduous Conifers (pdf) With October in full swing, it’s a good time to highlight some of the most surprising contributors to fall color. Deciduous conifers are plants that in the summer masquerade as typical conifers. They have the cones, branching structure, and small needle-like foliage you would expect. […]

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By RSBG Nursery Manager & Assistant Curator, Atsuko Gibson I always get asked this question: “What is your favorite rhododendron?” R. quinquefolium blooms Out of 1300 species, it is nearly impossible to narrow it down to a single favorite, but my answer is always the same: Rhododendron quinquefolium. It is a deciduous, five-leaved azalea. What […]

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By Emily Joseph – RSBG Retail Sales Manager & Assistant Nursery Manager   If you’ve ever wandered through a fern-filled garden or hiked on a summer afternoon and watched dust shimmer in the golden light, you may have witnessed ferns in the act of reproduction. Appearing in fossil records dating back about 350 million years, […]

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Download: Plethora of Pleiones By Atsuko Gibson RSBG Nursery Manager and Assistant Curator When I was first introduced to the genus Pleione during my early years at the RSBG, I was blown away. There was once a fairly large clump of Pleione formosana blooming in the Alpine Garden—nestled in thick moss. (Sadly, it’s now gone, thanks to voles.) At the […]

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By Emily Joseph – RSBG Retail Sales Manager & Assistant Nursery Manager     Of all the rhododendron species you could grow, Rhododendron williamsianum is among the easiest and most adaptable for urban and suburban gardens. We often consider it an excellent introductory choice for beginners or budding rhododendron collectors. Rounded leaves about the size […]

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Rutherford Conservatory Updates Ahead! Download (pdf) By Rutherford Conservatory Horticulturist Kim Farmer For those of you who have been visiting the RSBG for some time, it may be hard to believe that the conservatory first opened 16 years ago in September of 2010. Since that time, many plants have grown and flourished in their new […]

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By RSBG Horticulturist and Assistant Curator Will Clausen Gardens are living museums and ever changing. Those basic truths, though occasionally frustrating, are a big part of the fun of being a gardener. As 2025 wraps up, I am reflecting on some of the garden projects we completed this year and thinking about things we plan […]

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