QBARS - v29n3 Rhododendron hodgsonii

Rhododendron hodgsonii

The R. hodgsonii shown was photographed in Sikkim by E. C. Brockenbrough, M.D. on the 1974 Himalayan Rhododendron Exploration undertaken by some members of the ARS. Seven members of the expedition reported at some length on the trip the first evening of the Annual Meeting in Seattle in May.

R. hodgsonii is one of the hardier members of the Falconeri Series. It is rated as hardy to zero by the ARS. In the wild it may be tree-like with a height of 20 feet. The large leaves are up to 12 inches long and 5 inches across, with fawn indumentum. The two-inch ion; flowers are gathered into a rounded truss. Typically, the flowers are a dark magenta-purple, fading to a lighter and duller color.