JARS v51n3 - Beginners Glossary: Why All the Fuss About the Truss?

Beginners Glossary: Why All the Fuss About the Truss?

Why do most plants in the garden have "flowers" but rhododendrons have "trusses"? Why does the ARS call its shows "truss shows" when other plant societies are content with "flower shows"?
Rhodophiles might say the blooms on a rhododendron are so superior to those of other plants that a different name is needed. However, there is a better answer. The growth habit of most rhododendrons is such that a cluster of flowers forms at the end of a branch, each flower bearing its own pistil, stamens, etc., for producing seeds. Collectively the flowers at the end of one branch make a single visual impact, and it is this "collection" of flowers that is called a truss. The classic truss is the ball or dome truss where the flowers are close together and face upward or outward. In the "lax truss" the flowers tend to face downward like bells.