American Rhododendron Society Plant Registry

The following rhododendron and azalea names, submitted through the North American registrar, were approved and added to the International Rhododendron Register prior to February 1, 2001 by the Royal Horticultural Society, International Registration Authority (IRA) for the genus Rhododendron. Names conform to the rules and recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants - 1995 .

Color numbers refer to the RHS Colour Chart unless noted otherwise. Accompanying color names are taken from A Contribution toward Standardization of Color Names in Horticulture , R.D. Huse and K.L. Kelly, edited by D.H. Voss (ARS, 1984).

The format for reporting parentage has been modified slightly to conform to that now used by the IRA. If the direction of the cross is known, the seed parent is followed by an "(s)". For the plant being described, seed and pollen parents are separated by an upper case “X". If either parent is itself a cross, the individual components within that cross are separated by a lower case “x". Parentheses are used only in describing the more complex crosses.

Abbreviations are used where appropriate: H = hybridized by, G = grown to first flower by, R = raised by, S = selected by, N = named by, I = introduced by, REG = registered by; dates are enclosed in parentheses immediately following the activity.

Metric conversions of flower and leaf measurements are reported in 5mm (0.2") increments for dimensions greater than 25mm (1").

'Dennis' Gem' Elepidote rhododendron: 'Point Defiance' (s) X 'Trude Webster'. H (1986) and N (2000): Dennis Sanders; G: (1991): Merle Sanders; I (1997) and REG (2000): Sanders Nursery; all Roseburg, OR. Fls 16-20/conical truss, openly funnel-shaped, 2.5" (65mm) long x 4" (100mm) wide, 5 wavy-edged lobes; deep rose-red in bud, opening vivid purplish red (67B) throughout, with a white dorsal flare speckled with strong purplish red (63A). Calyx c 3mm long, pink. Truss 8.5" (215mm) high x 8" (200mm) wide. Lvs elliptic, 5" x 2.75" (125 x 70mm), broadly acute apex, oblique base, flat margins, dull and mid green above, hairless; held 2 years. Shrub 7' (2.1m) tall x 7' (2.1m) wide in 13 years, intermediate habit. Plant hardy to at least 0ºF (-18ºC); buds, 5ºF (-15ºC). Mid May.

'George Watling' Elepidote rhododendron: derived from Subsection Fortunea. H: Unknown (seedling originated in England); G (probably 1940s), N (1965), and I (1950s): Mary Greig, Royston, B.C.; REG (2000): Vancouver Parks Board, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Fls 8/flat truss, broadly funnel-shaped, 3.5" (90mm) wide, 5-6 wavy-edged lobes; yellowish pink in bud, opening pale yellow in throat and fading towards margins, outside similarly colored; faint red markings inside. Truss 5" (125mm) high x 7" (175mm) wide. Lvs oblong, 5" x 2.5" (125 x 65mm), obtuse apex, cordate base, flat margins, glossy green above, hairless; held 3 years. Shrub 15' (4.6m) tall x 15' (4.6m) wide in c 45 years, intermediate habit. Plant and bud hardy to at least 32ºF (0ºC). Midseason.

'Royal Coronation' Elepidote rhododendron: 'Purple Splendour' (s) X 'Coronation Day'. H (1993), G (1998), and N (2000): Merle Sanders; I (2000) and REG (2000): Sanders Nursery; Roseburg, OR. Fls 10/ball truss, openly funnel-shaped, 3" (75mm) long x 4.5" (115mm) wide, 5 wavy-edged lobes; dark purple in bud, opening vivid purplish red (57C) throughout, with spotting and streaks of strong greenish yellow (151A) on the dorsal lobe; lightly scented. Calyx c 0.25" (6mm) long, green. Truss 7" (175mm) high x 9" (225mm) wide. Lvs elliptic, 4.75" x 2" (120 x 50mm), broadly acute apex, rounded base, flat margins, semi-glossy and dark green above, hairless; held 2 years. Shrub 6' (1.8m) high x 5.5' (1.7m) wide in 7 years, open habit. Plant hardy to at least 0ºF (-18ºC); buds, 5ºF (-15ºC). Mid-late April. (2nd place in New American Hybrid class, Eugene Chapter, ARS)

Rhododendron 'Royal Coronation'

'Sanders' Lemon Tart' Elepidote rhododendron: 'Ightham Yellow' (s) X 'Mrs Lammot Copeland' x 'Whitney's Late Yellow' *. H (1988): M. Wildfong, Mission, B.C.; G (1995) and N (2000): Merle Sanders; I (2000) and REG (2000): Sanders Nursery; Roseburg, OR. Fls 11/dome truss, broadly funnel-shaped, 2.4" (60mm) long x 3.5" (90mm) wide, 5 wavy-edged lobes; yellow in bud, opening light greenish yellow (7D) inside and out, with a slight, brilliant yellow green (150A) flare, c 0.5" (13mm) long, in the throat. Calyx lobes irregular, to 0.75" (20mm) long, colored as corolla. Truss 5" (125mm) high x 7" (175mm) wide. Lvs elliptic, 3.75" x 1.5" (95 x 40mm), broadly acute apex, rounded base, flat margins, glossy and mid green above, hairless; held 2 years. Shrub 5' (1.5m) high x 5' (1.5m) wide in 12 years, open habit. Plant hardy to at least 0ºF (-18ºC); buds, 5ºF (-15ºC). Late May-early June.

'Sanders' Low Yellow' Elepidote rhododendron: 'Karen Triplett' (s) X yakushimanum x 'Mrs Lammot Copeland'. H (1988): Fred Minch, Puyallup, WA; G (1993) and N: Merle Sanders; I (2000) and REG (2000): Sanders Nursery; Roseburg, OR. Fls 11/dome truss, open campanulate, 2" (50mm) long x 2.75" (70mm) wide, 5 flat-edged lobes; yellow in bud, opening light greenish yellow (4B) throughout, with a slight dorsal flare of brilliant yellow green (149B), c 0.6" (15mm) long. Truss 3" (75mm) high x 4.5" (115mm) wide. Lvs elliptic, 3.5" x 1.75" (90x45mm), acute apex, cuneate base, flat margins, semi-glossy and dark green above, hairless; held 3 years. Shrub 3.5' (1.1m) high x 5' (1.5m) wide in 12 years, dense habit. Plant hardy to at least 0ºF (-18ºC); buds, 5ºF (-15ºC). Late June.

'Sunset Trail' Deciduous azalea: selection from prunifolium . G and N: Charles and C.J. Patterson, Norwell, MA; S and REG (2000): Charles Patterson. Fls 4-6/truss, tubular funnel-shaped, 1.9" (50mm) long x 1.75" (45mm) wide, 5 wavy-edged lobes, stamens 3.5" (90mm) long; vivid reddish orange (34A) in bud, opening (34A) throughout except for dorsal lobe which is moderate reddish orange (35A); unmarked. Lvs elliptic, 3.5" x 1.1" (90 x 30mm), broadly acute apex, cuneate base, flat margins, semi-glossy and strong yellow green (143A) above. Shrub 7' (2.1m) tall x 6' (1.8m) wide in at least 15 years, intermediate habit. Plant and bud hardy to at least -15ºF (-26ºC). Late September (for about 3 weeks).

* The following unregistered name appears as a parent in the above descriptions:
'Whitney's Late Yellow' Elepidote rhododendron. H: W.E. Whitney, parentage unknown