Proven Performers: District 6

The ARS Public Education Committee in 2000 asked chapters to compile lists of the best performing rhododendrons in their areas. Not only were these to be plants with good form, foliage texture and flowers, but also they were to be cold and heat hardy for the area and resistant to pests and diseases. The integrity of the lists is based upon the fact that the plants have proven their ability to perform well in members' gardens. The response to the request was overwhelming with almost all chapters sending lists to the committee. As a result, the Society and its chapters are able to make these lists available to the public to guide them in selecting rhododendrons that do well in their local area.

The chapters were asked to list ten each of elepidotes, lepidotes, deciduous azaleas, evergreen azaleas and, where pertinent, vireyas. Some chapters followed this procedure, while others included more of one category than another. No matter how the lists were organized, the Society now has a "Proven Performer" list of rhododendrons that do well in specific regions, along with culture tips specific to the area and, in some cases, sources for the plants.

The Journal began publishing the lists in the fall 2000 issue, starting with District 1. The Proven Performers from District 6 are listed in this issue. An asterisk (*) indicates the name is not registered.

CAPE COD CHAPTER
Elepidotes (large-leaf)
'Baden-Baden'
'Calsap'
'Grace Seabrook'
'Janet Blair'
'Jonathan Shaw'
'Ken Janeck'
'Mary Belle'
'Mrs Furnivall'
'Scintillation'
'Vinecrest'

Lepidotes (small-leaf)
'Dora Amateis'
'Ginny Gee'
'Jericho'
'Mary Fleming'
'Olga Mezitt'
'Pioneer Silvery Pink'
'Starry Night' (syn. of registered name 'Gletschernacht')
'Weston's Pink Diamond'
'Windbeam'
R. keiskei (dwarf form)

Deciduous Azaleas
'Exbury Totally Awesome'*
'Gibraltar'
'Jane Abbott'
'My Mary'
'Windsor Appleblossom'
R. arborescens
R. calendulaceum
R. prunifolium
R. schlippenbachii
R. viscosum

Evergreen Azaleas
'Coral Bells' (syn. of registered name 'Kirin')
'Delaware Valley White'
'Louise Gable'
'Martha Hitchcock'
'Nancy of Robinhill'
'Palestrina'
'Rosebud'
'Springtime'
'Stewartstonian'
R. kiusianum

CONNECTICUT CHAPTER
(Numbers following plant names refer to USDA Hardiness Zone.)
Elepidotes (large leaf)
'Albert Close' 5
'Babylon' 6b
'Boule de Neige' 5
'Cadis' 5
'Catawbiense Album' 5
'Henry's Red' 5a
'Nova Zembla' 5
'Scarlet Romance' 5
'Scintillation' 5
R. balfourianum 6b
R. bureavii 5a
R. degronianum ssp. yakushimanum Exbury form
R. fortunei 5a
R. smirnowii 5a

Lepidotes (small-leaf)
Mehlquist April Series 5
'Molly Fordham' 5a
PJM Group
'Tow Head' 5
R. keiskei 'Yaku Fairy' 5a
R. minus Carolinianum Group 5

Deciduous Azaleas
R. albrechtii 5a
R. periclymenoides 5
R. prunifolium 5
R. schlippenbachii 5a
R. vaseyi 'White Find' 5a

Evergreen Azaleas
'Coral Bells' 5
'Delaware Valley White' 5 'Flame Creeper' 5 'Girard's Kathy' (syn. of registered name 'Kathy Ann') 5
R. kiusianum 5a

Specific to the Connecticut Chapter Region
-Dig planting hole about two times root ball diameter in well drained soil.
-If on a slope, level the area around the hole, put small earth dam around hole.
-If plant is in a pot, check the root mass and break up if necessary. If it is bag and balled, loosen burlap around the ball.
-Plant in hole with approximately 50/50 mix with rotted oak leaves or pine needles and top soil/dirt.
-Water heavily as you go.
-Leave the root ball about 1 inch above the final fill level and give final watering. Water regularly.
-Mulch with bark or rotted wood chips, no lime. Fertilize with 10-10-10 if desired after one or two years.
-Before the final heavy freeze in the fall, water heavily. Water regularly in summer until established.

MAINE CHAPTER
Elepidotes (large-leaf)
'Ben Moseley'
'Besse Howells'
'Hachmann's Polaris'
'Janet Blair'
'Maximum Roseum' (syn. of registered name 'Ponticum Roseum')
'Nova Zembla'
'Percy Wiseman'
'Scintillation'
'Summer Snow'
'Yaku Princess'

Lepidotes (small-leaf)
'April Gem'
'Arctic Glow'
'Ginny Gee'
'Laurie'
'Mary Fleming'
'Patty Bee'
PJM Group
'White Surprise'
'Windbeam'

Deciduous Azaleas
'Frank Abbott'
'Gibraltar'
'Golden Lights'
'Jane Abbott'
'King's Red'
'Weston's Lemon Drop'
'Weston's Lollipop'*
'Weston's Innocence'

Evergreen Azaleas
'Hershey's Red'*
R. yedoense var. poukhanense

MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER
Elepidotes (large-leaf)
'Arctic Gold'
'Big Deal'
'Boule de Neige'
'Calsap'
'Catawbiense Album'
'Catawbiense Boursault'
'Chionoides'
'Connecticut Yankee'
'Crete'
'Dorothy Swift'
'Fantastica'
'Firestorm'
'Francesca'
'Golfer'
'Gustav Mehlquist'
'Henry's Red'
'Janet Blair'
'Ken Janeck'
'Mist Maiden'
'Morgenrot'
'Nova Zembla'
'Percy Wiseman'
'Roseum Elegans'
'Scarlet Romance'
'Schneebukett'
'Scintillation'
'Today and Tomorrow'
'White Peter'
'Wojnar's Purple'
'Yaku Prince'
R. maximum , native Rosebay rhododendron

Lepidotes (small-leaf)
'April Dawn'
'April Gem'
'April Mist'*
'April Reign'
'April Rose'
'April Snow'
'April Song'
'April White'
'Autumn Violet'
'Dora Amateis'
'Ginny Gee' SPA
'Lavender Frost'
'Manitou'
'Mary Fleming'
'Molly Fordham'
'New Patriot'
'Patty Bee'
PJM Group
'PJM Victor'
'Weston's Aglo'
'Weston's Pink Diamond'
'White Surprise'
R. dauricum
R. keiskei
R. micranthu m
R. minus Carolinianum Group
R. minus var. chapmanii
R. mucronulatum

Deciduous Azaleas 'Homebush'
'Jane Abbott' and the Abbott hybrids
'Marydel'
'My Mary'
'Nacoochee'
'Narcissiflorum'
Northern Lights Group
'Pink and Sweet'
'Weston's Innocence'
'Weston's Lemon Drop'
'Weston's Lollipop'*
'Weston's Parade'*
'Weston's Sparkler'*
R. arborescens , Sweet Azalea
R. calendulaceum , Flame Azalea
R. cumberlandense
R. prunifolium , Plum Leaf Azalea
R. schlippenbachii , Royal Azalea
R. vaseyi , Pinkshell Azalea
R. viscosum , Swamp Azalea

Evergreen Azaleas**
'Alexander'
'Bixby'
'Delaware Valley White'
'Guy Yerkes'
'Helen Curtis'
'Herbert'
'Hino-crimson'
'Michael Hill'
'Palestrina'
'Rosebud'
'Stewartstonian'
'Wintergreen'
R. kaempferi , Torch Azalea
R. kiusianum , Kyushu Azalea
R. yedoense var. poukhanense

** Note: Many evergreen azaleas sold in New England are not dependably hardy in Zones 5 and 6.

Specific to the Massachusetts Chapter Region
Success with rhododendrons and azaleas is very dependent on microclimate, proper planting and mulching, and the fall hardening off process.