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Broadening the gardeners palette |
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Broadening the gardeners palette |
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Botanical Name: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Rhododendron Rhododendron Deciduous shrub/Evergreen shrub Full sun to part shade Like their first cousins the Azaleas, Rhododendrons offer flowers in a range of different colors—in particular pink, lavender, and white—on plants that vary widely in size and habit. Almost all are evergreen, and many are quite cold hardy, enduring temperatures that would be the death of most evergreen Azaleas. We specialize in the small-leaved, or lepidote, Rhododendrons, most of which are dwarf or intermediate in size, with a spread that exceeds their height. They bloom April through mid-May, filling the gap between the Winter Heaths and the large-leaved Rhododendrons and combining nicely with early-spring shrubs, bulbs, and perennials along foundations, in mixed borders, and in woodland gardens. Rhododendrons require acid, humus-rich soil that provides excellent drainage. They need constant, even moisture, but the soil must be very well drained for them to thrive. Rhododendrons seem to be happiest when they receive dappled sunshine for several hours in the middle of the day; however, many of the small-leaved cultivars we grow also perform well in full sun. Hardiness varies by species and cultivar. In keeping with industry practice, we provide the minimum temperature rather than the USDA Zone.
Rhododendron keiskei Selections This is the only cold-hardy Rhododendron species with yellow flowers. The color is a lovely pale yellow that glows softly against the deep green foliage. Bloom begins in mid-April here on Long Island. This species, which is native to Japan, is named after the Japanese botanist Keisuke Ito (1803–1901), who discovered it. It is quite variable in size and habit. We offer four distinct forms, each of which is suited to a different landscape use. Avoid planting with bright yellows, which will upstage these subtle beauties. Hardy to –10°F.
R. k. Compact Form. A slow-growing plant that takes the shape of a broad globe. Good for edging. 1ft x 2ft.
R. k. ‘Cordifolium’. A late bloomer (ten days to two weeks after the Compact Form) with a low, dense habit. Its late bloom helps it elude flower bud damage from late spring frosts. A nice foundation plant. 2ft x 3ft.
R. k. ‘Intermedium’. This selection forms a broad mound with a perfectly rounded outline. A fine addition to the woodland garden or shrub border. Looks especially nice with ‘PJM’, which blooms at the same time. Size in 12–15 years: 5ft x 7ft.
R. k. Spreading Form. A prostrate plant. Ideal for the rock garden. Can also serve as an evergreen ground cover. 8in x 3ft.
Rhododendron yakushimanum and Its Hybrids Large trusses of rose-pink buds open to satiny flowers, generally in May. The new growth is feltlike, silvery-white or tawny in color, and stands out nicely against the dark green foliage. The undersides of the leaves are distinctive in that they are lined with woolly, cinnamon-colored indumentum. Yaks, as they are commonly referred to in the trade, have dense, rounded forms—perfect for border or foundation use. They grow slowly to an average height of 4ft in 10 years; the species is the slowest of all, barely growing 2ft tall in that time. All are prized for their hardiness, durability, superb foliage, and impressive flowers.
NEW R. ‘Fantastica’. (‘Mars’ x yakushimanum ‘Koichiro Wada’.) This selection may have the most richly colored flowers in the group, and it blooms slightly later. The flowers open light red with pale pink centers and hold their color well. Ideal where you want the compact form of a Yak but you need a bit more punch. 3ft x 4ft. Hardy to –15ºF.
R. ‘Ingrid Mehlquist’. (‘Besse Howells’ x degronianum ssp yakushimanum.) This handsome hybrid from Gus Mehlquist of the University of Connecticut bears an abundance of pink buds that open to pure white flowers with light crimson spotting on the top petal. 2ft x 3ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. ‘Ken Janeck’. (Selected form of yakushimanum.) Large trusses of deep pink flowers adorn a neat, compact mound of deep green, heavily felted, relatively large foliage. The flowers hold their pink color well. New growth is a handsome, soft silvery white. ‘Ken Janeck’ was selected in 1964 and is thus far the only yakushimanum to receive an Award of Excellence from the American Rhododendron Society. Size in 10 years: 3ft x 3ft. The original plant, now nearly 50 years old, stands upward of 7ft tall and almost twice as wide. Hardy to –20°F.
NEW R. ‘Percy Wiseman’. (yakushimanum x ‘Fabia Tangerine’ selfed.) The exquisite flowers, borne in trusses of 15, blend shades of pink and yellow and white. From a distance, they are a scrumptious peachy pink. There is nothing else like them in the world of Yaks. Bloom can continue into June. 3ft x 4ft. Hardy to –10ºF.
R. ‘Pink Parasol’. (Selected seedling of yakushimanum.) The leaves are larger than those of most other Yakushimanum hybrids and have a nice blue cast. The buds are deep pink, opening to soft rose-pink flowers. Habit is low and broad—3ft x 5ft. An exceptionally hardy hybrid—to –25°F.
R. ‘Queen Alice’. (yakushimanum x ‘Alice’.) Large, reddish pink buds become trusses of rosy pink flowers. Blooms slightly later than other Yaks. The silvery new growth contrasts with the glossy dark green foliage. Size in 8–10 years: 4ft x 5ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Yaku Princess’. (‘King Tut’ x yakushimanum ‘Kochhiro Wada’.) Big trusses of soft pink flowers with green spots fade to white as they mature. The foliage is attractive, the habit neat and compact. An old and very reliable hybrid. 3ft x 4ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. yakushimanum. This is the species, and despite all the attempts to improve upon it, it remains the queen of the large-leaved Rhododendrons. It bears large pink buds in clusters of 5–10 that open to pale rose flowers. The pink fades away as the flowers age. Our form has a low, dense, mounding habit. A good choice for the rock garden. Native to Yakushima Island, Japan. 2ft x 3ft. Very hardy—to –25°F.
R. y. ‘Mist Maiden’. (Selected form of yakushimanum.) A David Leach introduction. It has the same bright rose buds and soft pink flowers that fade to white with age, but it grows much faster, so you don’t have to wait decades to have a specimen you can crow about. 5ft x 5ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. y. Selfed. (Selected form of yakushimanum.) You might ask, in an age when marketing rules the world, why we would offer a plant that lacks a snazzy name, or any name at all. The answer is simple: It’s a great little shrub. In fact, it was one of the originial R. yakushimanum introductions and winner of the coveted First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in England. It grows faster than the species and has larger leaves. It’s also more tolerant of heat. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –25°F.
Other Rhododendron Species R. fastigiatum. This dwarf species from western China produces small trusses of purple, funnel-shaped flowers from mid-April to early May on a dense mound of narrow, blue-green leaves. Ideal for the rock garden or as a bonsai plant. 1½ft x 1½ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. hirsutum. Small, tubular, rosy scarlet flowers appear quite late (in June) above outstanding, rounded, dark green foliage. Habit is dense and mounded, flat on the top. Native to south central Europe and cultivated for well over 300 years, yet it remains hard to find in the trade. Height: 2ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. minus var. minus. (R. carolinianum.) This charming parent of the PJM hybrids is native to the southeastern United States but is very hardy. It has lovely lavender-pink blooms from late May to June and deep green leaves that turn to dark burgundy or maroon in fall and winter. Prefers shade and tolerates heat but requires perfect drainage. A superb woodland plant. Upright habit. 4ft x 3ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. mucronulatum. One of the few deciduous Rhododendrons and also one of the showiest, because the early April flowers open before the foliage unfurls. The profusion of lavender-pink bells lights up the landscape. Plants have a rounded or oval habit and bright green leaves that turn yellow and orange in fall, providing a second season of interest. The flowers appear so early that they can be injured by a spring freeze; planting in an eastern exposure will retard bud break. Use in the shrub border or along a foundation. Native to Korea, Manchuria, northern China, and northern Japan. 5ft x 3ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. m. ‘Cornell Pink’. Same as above but the flowers are a clear light pink with no hint of blue in them. Excellent with white and lemon-yellow Daffodils such as ‘Ice Follies’. 5ft x 3ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. rupicola. Broad, funnel-shaped, intense purple flowers with white stamens bury this dwarf evergreen shrub at some point between mid-April or early May. It’s perfect for the rock garden or as an edging for a partially shaded border. A native of China. 2½ft x 2½ft. Hardy to –15°F.
Miscellaneous Rhododendron Hybrids Dwarf Cultivars The following small-leaved Rhododendrons are slow growers; they rarely exceed 3ft in height in 10–12 years.
R. ‘Arsen’s Pink’. (keiskei x racemosum.) This compact globe covers itself with very soft pink flowers in early April. Delightful with early-spring bulbs such as Scilla siberica and Narcissus ‘April Tears’. 2ft x 2ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Baden-Baden’. (‘Essex Scarlet’ x forrestii subsp. forrestii.) A semidwarf with deep scarlet, bell-shaped blooms in May and slightly twisted, dark green leaves. A 1945 Hobbie hybrid. Forms a low mound. 2ft x 2ft. Hardy to –10°F.
R. ‘Black Satin’. (‘PJM’ second-generation seedling.) Vibrant, violet-purple flowers in May and dark green foliage that turns a deep mahogany in winter. Winter foliage color on mature plants is almost black. Upright, bushy habit. 3ft x 21/2ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Bluette’. (augustinii x impeditum.) Tight clusters of creamy yellow buds nestled among small, pointed, glossy dark green leaves open to Hyacinth blue flowers in the first half of May. A 1958 Lancaster hybrid. Plants have a low, dense habit. 2½ft x 2½ft. Hardy to –10°F.
NEW R. ‘Fairy Mary’. (keiskei ‘Yaku Fairy’ x ‘Mary Fleming’.) This compact beauty rivals ‘Ginny Gee’ for profusion of bloom, but does so in a different color scheme. The buds are creamy, and they open to soft, warm pink flowers that verge on apricot. The late-April to early-May display is set off nicely by dark green foliage that turns darker still in winter. ‘Fairy Mary’ forms a dense mound that measures 3ftt x 2½ft. Hardy to –15ºF.
R. ‘Ginny Gee’. (keiskei prostrate form x racemosum.) The pink buds open to such a mass of blush pink blooms in mid-April that the foliage is almost obscured. The flowers slowly fade to white, retaining just a tinge of pink. ‘Ginny’ also offers nice dark green foliage that turns burgundy in winter and a compact mounding habit. Drought tolerant and heat resistant. 2ft x 2ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘Karin Seleger’. (impeditum x dauricum.) A free-flowering dwarf that blankets itself with lovely violet-purple, wavy-edged flowers in May. It was selected by Joseph Brueckner of Mississauga. Makes a dense, spreading plant. 1½ft x 2ft. Hardy to at least –20°F.
R. ‘Laurie’. (minus var. minus album x ‘PJM’.) A member of the PJM family with pale pink or perhaps orchid blossoms and a compact habit. Its small leaves are dark green and lustrous and turn a deep coppery bronze in winter. Blooms in April, about a week after ‘PJM’. 2ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘Lavendula’. ([russatum x saluenense] x rubiginosum.) Large, long-lasting, intense lavender flowers in late April and early May. Handsome foliage that is dark green above, with a strong reddish brown cast underneath. An excellent foundation plant. It has a compact, upright habit, eventually growing wider than tall. 3ft x 4ft. Hardy to at least –10°F.
NEW R. ‘Midnight Ruby’. (‘Olga Mezitt’ x ‘PJM’ Group.) A selection from the PJM bloodline that produces wavy reddish purple flowers in the first half of April. In winter, the foliage turns a mahogany so dark it looks black. Habit is upright, spreading with age. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20ºF.
R. ‘Moerheim’. (impeditum hybrid.) A floriferous cultivar with striking lilac-blue flowers in late April. The green foliage turns an attractive maroon shade in winter. A popular choice for bonsai. Introduced by Moerheim Nursery in 1965. Very compact, growing just 1½ft x 2½ft. Hardy to at least –15°F.
R. ‘Moerheim’s Pink’. (willamsianum x ‘Genoveva’.) Dark purple buds open to large, deep pink, bell-shaped flowers in the first half of May. The foliage is rounded and dull green, but the new growth is a lively bronze color. Grows wider than high, making a nice low, rounded bush. 2ft x 3ft. Hardy to at least –5°F.
R. ‘Myrtifolium’ (Selfed). (minus var. minus x hirsutum.) This compact, mounded plant is an asset in the landscape the year round, offering mauve-pink flowers in late May or early June, rich matte-green summer foliage, and deep burgundy winter color. Shows good heat and sun tolerance. Dense, rounded growth habit. 2ft x 3ft—a very old plant can grow 4ft x 6ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Patty Bee’. (keiskei ‘Yaku Fairy’ x fletcherianum.) A neat little dwarf with charming 2in creamy yellow flowers in late April that are set off by leathery, deep green leaves. A good choice for the rock garden or as a low facer plant. 1½ft x 2ft. Hardy to –10°F.
R. ‘Pikeland’. (keiskei x campylogynum.) Ball-shaped trusses of ruffled pink flowers in early May. Each bloom is spotted and edged with a deeper shade of pink. Plants have a nice low, rounded habit. 1½ft x 2ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Princess Anne’. (keiskei x hanceanum.) A charming little mound-shaped hybrid with pale yellow flowers in late April or early May. Its foliage turns bronze in winter. 2ft x 2ft. Hardy to –5°F.
R. ‘Princess Susan’. (‘Balta’ x [minus Carolinianum Group album x PJM Group] selfed). A slow-growing, compact Rhododendron that makes a neat globe bearing an abundance of bright magenta flowers in early spring. The shiny deep green foliage turns dark mahogany—almost black—in fall and holds that color through winter. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Purple Gem’. (fastigiatum x minus Carolinianum Group.) This compact Rhododendron has been a fixture of rock gardens and foundations for many years. It has a low, spreading habit and makes lots of little purple-violet flowers in late April. Its small, pointed leaves are medium green in summer, bronze in winter. New growth has a wonderful blue tone. The plant is as tolerant of heat as it is of cold. 2ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘Too Bee’. (campylogynum ‘Patricia’ x keiskei ‘Yaku Fairy’.) Small red buds open to plentiful trusses of pink bell-shaped flowers that are spotted in the throat. They appear on a low, spreading, dense mound in late April to mid-May. Size in 8–10 years: 11/2ft x 2½ft. Hardy to –10°F.
Intermediate Cultivars The hybrids that follow are intermediate in size, generally growing between 3ft and 6ft in height in 10–12 years. With the exception of ‘Scintillation’, all are small-leaved Rhododendrons.
R. ‘Aglo’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x minus var. minus.) Numerous small trusses of bright pink flowers with rusty red throats in mid-April—about a week after ‘PJM’. A sister seedling to ‘Olga Mezitt’. The glossy bright green foliage turns coppery bronze in winter. Shows good sun tolerance. Forms an upright mound measuring 4ft x 4ft. Hardy to –20°F.
NEW R. ‘April Mist’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x mucronulatum ‘Cornell Pink’.) Double flowers of lavender-pink with lighter centers. When our plants bloom in April, visiting customers snap them up like hotcakes. The deep sage-green foliage turns a deep burgundy that verges on black in winter. Upright, semicompact habit. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20ºF.
R. ‘April Reign’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x dauricum.) A Gustav Mehlquist hybrid with ruffled, semidouble, iridescent lilac-pink flowers in late April and attractive oval green leaves. Excellent broad upright growth habit. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘April Snow’. ([{‘PJM x mucronulatum} x dauricum] x [minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x ‘PJM’].) Dainty double white blooms are complemented by small, bright green leaves and distinctive golden yellow stems. Upright, rounded outline. Needs excellent drainage. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘Brittany’. (‘Bowie’ x keiskei ‘Mt. Kuromi’.) The distinctive May flowers of this cultivar open pale yellow and then turn two shades of pink. Makes a dense mound. A David Leach hybrid. 4ft x 4ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘Carolina Rose’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x roseum.) This is one of the latest of the Carolina hybrids to bloom. It waits until late May to produce its lavish display of bright rose-pink blooms. Displays great sun tolerance. Open, upright habit. 4ft x 4ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Dora Amateis’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x ciliatum.) This classic hybrid produces an abundance of white flowers in late April and early May. They are lightly spotted with green and possess a light spicy-sweet scent. ‘Dora’ has small, convex, deep green leaves and a low, bushy, mounding habit. Grows well in full sun. 3ft x 4ft—a lovely old plant in our garden has reached 5ft x 8ft. Hardy to –15°F.
NEW R. ‘Gertrude Saxe’. (carolinianum x mucronulatum ‘Paul’s Pink’.) Big trusses of clear pink flowers that are softer and easier on the eye than those of ‘Aglo’ and ‘Olga Mezitt’. This is an old cultivar that we’ve had at the nursery for what seems like forever, but it’s only recently that we’ve propagated enough to list it again. We keep ‘Gertrude’ around because she’s hardy, reliable, and just plain beautiful. Her habit is upright and rounded, and she blooms in early May. Foliage is olive-green and a bit larger than that of other small-leaved Rhododendrons. 5ft x 4ft. Hardy to –25ºF.
R. ‘Joseph Dunn’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x racemosum.) A heavy-blooming cultivar with loads of palest pink flowers in late May. It also has lustrous green foliage and red stems with dark reddish winter buds. R. racemosum, a handsome species that is outstanding in flower, stem color, and form, is one of Mr. Dunn’s parents. Upright, open habit. 4ft x 3ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Manitou’. (Pronounced man-EE-toe—exact parentage unknown.) A recent hybrid that is similar to ‘Windbeam’ but more compact in habit and later to bloom—in late May. Its blooms are a good clear pink, and its small green leaves turn bronze in winter. 4ft x 3ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. ‘Mary Fleming’. ([racemosum x keiskei] x keiskei.) This free-flowering R. keiskei hybrid has lovely pale yellow flowers in early May that are streaked and flecked with salmon. No two flowers are exactly alike, but every one is enchanting. Plants are slow growing, with a compact, upright habit and good bronze winter color. 4ft x 6ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Milestone’. (minus var. minus x dauricum var. sempervirens.) In mid- to late April, pink buds open to dark pink flowers that look almost red from a distance. The small, shiny green leaves are semievergreen, turning maroon around the edge of the plant, orange-red and yellow in the interior, and holding a long time before dropping in late fall and winter. Broad, upright habit. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –10°F.
NEW R. ‘Molly Fordham’. (‘Balta’ x minus var. minus Carolinianum Group.) An old Weston Nurseries introduction that we’re pleased to be able to list again. Its flowers, borne in plentiful trusses of seven, are a good bright white that jump out against a dark background. They appear early—often overlapping with PJM—on compact plants. 4ft x 4ft. Hardy to –20ºF.
R. ‘Olga Mezitt’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x minus var. minus.) Lots of clear pink blooms in mid-April to early May on a very hardy, upright shrub. The color is a slightly darker pink than that of sister seedling ‘Aglo’. The foliage is bright green, turning a dark mahogany in winter. Tolerant of sun and wind. 5ft x 4ft. Hardy to at least –20°F.
R. PJM Compact Form. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x dauricum.) The original ‘PJM’, named after Peter J. Mezitt of Weston Nurseries, was not one plant but a group of hybrids that were similar in hardiness, bloom time, and flower color but varied greatly in size and habit. We offer a compact form that has the early, vivid lavender-pink flowers and cold hardiness for which the group has become famous while remaining quite compact. It blooms in early April and has good dark green foliage that turns mahogany in winter. 3½ft x 4½ft. Hardy to –25°F.
R. ‘Praecox’. (ciliatum x dauricum.) An old semievergreen hybrid introduced in the 1800s. It is one of the earliest to bloom: Its frilled, rosy lilac flowers often open before the end of March. Foliage is glossy, mid-green and rounded. Upright habit. 4ft x 3ft. Hardy to –5°F.
R. ‘Rosemarie’. (Parentage unknown.) Lovely, lavender-blue flowers nestle among small, dark green leaves in early May. Selected by the late Harold Epstein for its lovely blue color and named after Rosemarie Nabel of Nabel’s Nurseries in White Plains, New York . Compact, mounded habit. 3ft x 3ft. Hardy to –10°F.
R. ‘Scintillation’. (Parentage unknown.) This large-leaved Dexter hybrid bears showy trusses of bright pink flowers, each with a soft yellow flare, in late May or early June. They have lots of substance and are shown to advantage by lustrous deep green leaves. ‘Scintillation’ is compact by the standards of large-leaved Rhododendrons, growing about 5ft x 7ft. It becomes broader with age. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Thunder’. (‘PJM’ seedling.) This cultivar offers a stunning contrast of foliage and flowers. The dark magenta blooms are presented in early April against foliage that has yet to lose its chocolate-mahogany winter color. Soon after bloom, the leaves revert to their deep green summer color. Plants have a compact, upright form and show their richest winter color when grown in full sun. 4ft x 3ft. Hardy to –20°F.
R. ‘Waltham’. (‘Wilsonii’ x minus var. minus Carolinianum Group.) A late bloomer that waits until the end of June to produce full trusses of small, clear pink flowers that are set closely against glossy, dark green leaves. It has a dense, compact habit with a perfectly rounded outline. Best in a location that is protected from the afternoon sun. 3ft x 4ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Wilsonii’. (minus var. minus Carolinianum Group x ferrugineum.) This is a good choice for difficult locations. It tolerates wind and sun and even some salt. It’s also exceedingly attractive, producing lots of small pink flowers on a broad, bushy plant in late June. Foliage is dark green and glossy. 4ft x 5ft. Hardy to –15°F.
R. ‘Windbeam’. (‘Conestoga’ hybrid.) This is a rugged plant with a winsome look. It endures bitterly cold winters to put on a perfectly lovely display of delicate white blooms in early to mid May. The flowers turn a soft coral-pink as they mature. The lustrous, aromatic, deep green foliage darkens in fall and winter and won’t curl unless or until the temperature drops well below zero. ‘Windbeam’ is broadly upright in habit, growing to a size of about 6ft x 4ft. Hardy to –25°F.
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