Of all the brilliantly colored flowers in nature’s vast repertoire, I have a special affinity for those of the yellow persuasion. Now by yellow I mean the deep solid yellow found in many species of Narcissus (daffodils), for example, or the pure yellow of a buttercup. This fondness, in combination with an unreasonable lust for […]
One of the classic species in the genus Rhododendron must surely be R. strigillosum. The large deep red flowers in early spring set against the characteristic whorl of dark green leaves with distinctly bristly petioles make this species a must for every collection. Known in its native China as mang ci dujuan (“prickly rhododendron”), this […]
Subsection Maddenia is a large and widespread group of approximately forty lepidote (scale-bearing) species. Members of this diverse group are found terrestrially or as epiphytes from the eastern Himalaya (Nepal) in the west to southeastern China and adjacent regions of Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand in the east. With a few notable exceptions, species in this […]
For sheer majesty in the genus Rhododendron, one would be hard-pressed to surpass the big-leafed Himalayan tree R. falconeri. The huge bold leathery leaves up to 14 inches in length are more than matched by the large, rounded inflorescence of white to pale yellow flowers. The stout growth habit and overall massive scale of this […]
Species rhododendrons are grown for their attractive or fragrant flowers, their interesting and even beautiful foliage, or their smooth and glossy peeling bark. Rhododendron edgeworthii is one of the exceptional species in which all of these desirable characteristics come together. This species is the best known and most often grown member of subsection Edgeworthia, a […]
The years 1848-1850 will always stand out in the history of rhododendron cultivation as the beginning of the great era of Sino-Himalayan rhododendron discovery and introduction. Over that short period of time, Joseph D. Hooker, in his thorough exploration of Sikkim and the immediate surrounding areas, managed to introduce into cultivation nearly every rhododendron native […]
Of the many outstanding introductions of Rhododendron species made by Joseph Dalton Hooker during his famous expedition to Sikkim and surrounding regions in 1848-1949, Rhododendron ciliatum is perhaps one of the least widely grown “hardy” species in the modern garden. This is unfortunate given that the semi-dwarf habit, attractive foliage, and large funnel-shaped flowers provide […]
Rhododendron barbatum is another of the numerous fine species collected and introduced to western gardens by Joseph Hooker during his historical two-year expedition (1848-1850) into the Sikkim Himalaya. Although this species was first scientifically recorded by Wallich in 1829 and introduced on a small scale possibly around that time, J. D. Hooker is rightfully given […]
R. goodenoughii is blooming in the Rutherford Conservatory. It was named after Goodenough Island in Papua New Guinea where this plant comes from.
This species is little known and extremely rare. Visit the garden to see this precious rhododendron! Many more rhododendrons are in bloom as well. For more information on this species, see our New Introduction R. ochraceum page.
