WISH LIST FOR RHODODENDRON
SEEDS
By Ole Jonny Larsen, Europeen member of the
Seed Exchange Committee of the ARS
On behalf
of the Seed Exchange Committee of the ARS I have asked members and others who
grow Rhododendrons from seeds to tell which species they really wish to grow. I
sent out emails to lots of people, and a note was printed in the winter issue
of The Journal asking readers to send in their wishes. The response has been
good and has resulted in a long list. My first thought is that it is amazing
how many well known species have never or rarely been offered, although lots of
people have them in their collections. More members should pick up pollinating
to produce seeds! It is not difficult to learn, you will find instructions in
lots of books on Rhododendrons. If enough people just made two or three
pollinations of rare species, the Seed Exchange would be able to present much
better seed lists in the future.
Most of the
wishes received are on the list. Some have been deleted since they have been
offered on this year’s list, or have been on the seed list more than one time
over the last five years. Maybe a shorter list would be more effective, but I
feel that the list now shows members thoughts and dreams for their gardens in
the future. It also tells us how important the seed distribution is and how it
can be improved to the benefit of our own members.
We now hope
that collectors among us go through their plant lists and ask themselves if
they can support some of these species seeds in the future. Even one new name
on the seed list will be greatly appreciated, maybe someone have been searching
just that species for years. It may be late to do pollinating when this issue
of The Journal reaches you, but some late flowering species can still be done.
Then plan for next year and read more about pollinating procedures.
You can
read about the subject in “Success with Rhododendrons and Azaleas” by H. Edward
Reiley
and in “The
Cultivation of Rhododendrons” by Peter Cox. Why not practice on late flowering
plants this year?
These are member’s wishes for the future seed
lists:
ELEPIDOTE SPECIES
(“ordinary” rhododendrons and big leaved
species. Some deciduous azaleas included).
Some responders ask for dwarf, compact or high
alpine forms of some of these species, especially in Subsection Taliensia.
Hardier forms than those in cultivation are always desired. High altitude
collections of big leaved species (Subsection Grandia and Falconera) should be
sought after to extend the cultivation areas for these magnificent plants.
adenopodum
alabamense
albertsenianum
alutaceum
var. russotinctum
alutaceum var.
iodes
aperantum
asterochnoum
bainbridgeanum
beanianum
championiae
clementinae
callimorphum
callimorphum
var. myiagrum
campylocarpum
campylocarpum ssp caloxanthum
catacosmum
cerasinum
chamaethomsonii var chamaethauma
citriniflorum (incl. var horaeum)
coelicum
coeloneurum
crinigerum
(hardy forms)
denudatum
diphrocalyx
elegantulum
esetulosum
eudoxum
euchroum
floccigerum
floribundum
formosanum
forrestii var papillatum
fulvum ssp fulvoides
glanduliferum
glischrum
habrotrichum
haofui
hemsleyanum
hobbiense (yellowbrown indumentum)
hongkongense
insigne
kyawii
lanatoides
lanatum var
leptothrium
longesqumatum
luciferum (or lanatum var luciferum) with red-brown indumentum)
luteum orange
mallotum
(hardy forms)
martinianum
microgynum
mimetes var. mimetes and var. simulans
miniatum
molle
ssp. molle
mucronulatum var. chejuense (Syn: var. taquetii)
nigroglandulosum
ochraceum
parmulatum
pentaphyllum white
pingianum
planetum (not found in the wild)
pocophorum
praeteritum
preptum
pronum
pudorosum
purdomii (without bristels)
rothchildii
sanguineum var. haemaleum
sanguineum var. himertum
sanguineum var. cloiophorum
sanguineum var. didymoides
schlippenbachii with deep pink flowers
semnoides
serotinum
selense
ssp setifeum
sikangense
sperabilioides
sphaeroblastum
subanseriense
succothii
temenium var.gilvum and var. dealbatum
thayerianum
thomsonii ssp. lopsangianum
traillianum var. dictyotum
ungernii
venator
vesiculiferum
viscidifolium
viscosum 'Lemon Drop'
wasonii var. wasonii and var. wenchuanense
williamsianum incl. dwarf and white forms
LEPIDOTES (most of them dwarf species)
Subsection Lapponica seems to be the most
popular since so many responders ask for them.
Any form, variant, subspecies or group within
this Subsection is desired. This also goes for Section Pogonanthum. Some of the
species on the list is not yet introduced for cultivation.
Wild collected seeds seem more popular than
well known clones from gardens.
afghanicum
ambiguum dwarf
anthopogonoides (section Pogonanthum)
auritum
baileyi
brachyanthum var.
brachyanthum and var. hypolepidotum
bracteatum
bulu
burjaticum (Lapponica)
caesium
camelliiflorum
capitatum
cw
cephalanthum
ssp. platyphyllum
cinnabarinum
ssp. tamaense
charitopes
ssp charitopes and ssp tsangpoense
collettianum
complexum
cw
cuneatum
dauricum
yellow form
dendricola
dendrocharis
edgarianum
fletcherianum
fragariiflorum
fragrans (syn: adamsii)
glaucophyllum var album
hemitrochotum
imperator
kongboense
laudandum var. laudandum and var. temoense
longistylum
lowndesii
ludlowii
micranthum
minyaense (Lapponica)
nitidulum var. omeiense and var. nitudulum
nivale (all
ssp., var., forms and groups)
orthocladum
var microleucum
petrocharis
pogonophyllum (section Pogonanthum)
pubescens
radendum (section Pogonanthum)
redowskianum
rufescens
russatum
(incl. album form)
sargentianum
scopulorum
setosum
shweliense
tapetiforme
tatsienense
telmateium Forma diacritum
telmateium Forma drumonium
telmateium Forma idoneum
thymifolium
tolmachevii
trichostomum
tsaii (not
the aff. form)
uniflorum
vaccinioides
valentinianum
websterianum
yungningense cw
EVERGREEN AZALEAS
Evergreen azaleas are rare on the seed lists
although lots of them can be grown well in gardens, some even in cool climates.
amagianum
eriocarpum
hidakanum
indicum (several colour forms)
kiyosumense
nakaharae
nudipes
reticulatum
rubripilosum
sanctum
serpyllifolium
wadanum
This photo shows Rhododendron cerasinum, one of the species on the wish list. It is my own photo, and it can be found on this web page:
http://www.rhododendron.dk/spec/ojl/cerasinum-cherryBrandy-ojl.jpg
Greetings Mr Larsen,
I am Australian member of RCM and ARS and would like to see the following on future seed lists;
R. arboreum ssp. campbelliae
R. argyrophyllum
R. basilicum
R. beanianum
R. brachysiphon
R. campanulatum
R. cardiobasis
R. clementinae
R. coriaceum
R. exasperatum
R. forrestii
R. intricatum
R. keleticum
R. lanigerum
R. mallotum
R. metternichii var. kyomaruense
R. montroseanum
R. pudorosum
R. recurvoides
R. rigidum
R. sanguineum forms
R. souliei
R. venator
Regards,
Andrew Lockett