JARS v40n2 - Rhododendrons: The Adaptability Connection

Rhododendrons: The Adaptability Connection
American Rhododendron Society National Convention
Wednesday, May 21 — Sunday, May 25, 1986
Holiday Inn Rockside
Cleveland, Ohio

Carolyn Dana Lewis
Ann Arbor, Michigan

ARS Convention Logo Members of the Great Lakes Chapter anticipate their theme of "Rhododendrons: The Adaptability Connection" spreading from coast to coast long after the sun has set on a memorable convention in Cleveland. New hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas developed in the eastern United States and Canada and obtained at the plant sale will grow and prosper in members' gardens across the land. To that end, in spite of major and minor disasters along the way, hundreds of exciting plants have been nurtured most of which have not been offered before.

David Leach, to whom the convention owes so much, will be represented by his 'Party Pink' which received the ARS Superior Plant Award in 1983. 'Party Pink' is displayed at the Secrest Arboretum Test Garden, the Holden Arboretum and the Leach Garden in North Madison, all of which will be visited on tours during the convention. (Note: There will be no provisions for private cars on the Thursday all day tour which includes a visit to the Leach trial grounds, so you must sign up for the bus tour in the event you want to see them.) The plant sale will also include Leach's 'Summer Snow', 'Summer Summit', 'Golden Gala', 'Fifty Fine', 'Small Wonder', 'Hong Kong', 'Towhead' a yellow lepidote, 'Pink Plush' a deciduous azalea ( R. bakeri x R. arborescens ) and 'White Snowball' an evergreen azalea.

In addition to Leach, several of the men who were instrumental in the establishment of the Rhododendron Display Garden at Secrest Arboretum (Sunday's tour) will be represented in the plant sale. Orlando Pride's 'Joe Paterno' and his evergreen azalea 'Pride's Pink', Peter Girard's new blue rhododendron, 'Peter Allen', his red 'Bright Vision', and his deciduous azaleas 'Yellow Pom-Pom' and 'Orange Jolly' will be included in the event as will Paul Bosley's 'Edith Bosley'. At this writing we have been unable to develop a supply of R. A. Fenicchia's plants.

Weldon Delp's 'Lanny Pride' and 'K. D. Harris' will be featured along with a number of Rudy Behring's plants from St. Catherine, Ontario, Canada. These will include 'Nancy Behring', 'Artie Snow', 'Peter Behring', 'Canadian Lilac', 'Canadian Magenta', 'New Sappho' and 'Labrador'. All of Behring's plants are reported to be quite hardy. Many have been described in the plant registry section of recent ARS Journals . Also available will be 'Calsap', from M. W. Michner of Franklin, Pennsylvania, a Sappho-type flower on a more compact and infinitely hardier plant. It has bloomed after -35 degrees F. Trusses of this clone took best of show at both the Great Lakes and the Niagara Region shows in 1985.

'Doc Tolstead' from Otto Prycl of New Stanton, Pennsylvania, rose with a crimson throat and hardy to about -15 F., has been propagated for sale. Bill Fetterhoff, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, is supplying his 'Vadabelle' a new yellow and 'Ambie' a very hardy clear pink lepidote. Clark Adams' large leafed, orange rhododendron, 'Linda Adams', will be available. Several new hardy evergreen azalea creations of our late District 11 Director, Dr. Schroeder, will also be available. Shammarello's 'Yaku Queen' will be a table favor and limited numbers of his other plants will be in the sale.

The Holden Arboretum is raising 'Maude Corning', a Dexter with large, fragrant flowers of shimmering peachy yellow which has been virtually unobtainable heretofore. We anticipate last minute additions to the sale and regret any last minute deletions which may be necessary due to conditions beyond our control.

In addition to hundreds of hand crafted items featuring rhododendrons, the craft sale will include a book nook where you can obtain one of the first copies of the long awaited book by Harold Greer and Homer Salley, Rhododendron Hybrids, A Guide to Their Origins . This large format, 391 page book includes 600 color photos. Also available will be Azaleas by Fred Galle, Rhododendron Species , Vol. 1, by H. H. Davidian, and Getting Started With Rhododendrons and Azaleas by J. Harold Clarke. And of course, there will be an autograph party!

Two more distinguished speakers have indicated that they will be able to attend the Cleveland Convention. Dr. Kenichi Arisumi, Professor, Laboratory of Ornamental Horticulture and Floriculture at Kagoshima University, Japan, will speak at the Breeder's Roundtable on "Studies on the Flower Colors in Rhododendrons". Jonathan A. Shaw, President of Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida and former Executive Director of the New England Wild Flower Society and Director of the Garden-in-the-Woods botanical garden will continue the theme of the convention with his talk, "Adaptability; Reflections Macro and Micro".

For last minute information call or write the registrar, Mrs. Howard Ruppender. We're looking forward to seeing you in Cleveland.