Proven Performers: District 9
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 9 are listed in this issue. An asterisk (*) indicates the name is not registered.
District 9
MASON DIXON CHAPTER
Elepidotes (large leaf)
'Blue Peter'
'Caroline'
'Catawbiense Album'
'Chionoides'
'English Roseum'
'Janet Blair'
'Lee's Dark Purple'
'Percy Wiseman'
'Roseum Pink'*
R. degronianum
ssp.
yakushimanum
'Mist Maiden'
Lepidotes (small-leaf)
'Alice Swift'
'April Pink'
'Dora Amateis'
'Ginny Gee'
'Mary Fleming'
'Molly Fordham'
'Olga Mezitt'
'Weston's Pink Diamond'
'Purple Gem' or 'Ramapo'
'Windbeam'
Deciduous Azaleas
(Most do very well. Recommended cultivars are mildew resistant.)
'Girard's Yellow Pom Pom'*
'Crimson Tide' (syn. 'Girard's Crimson Tide')
'Girard's Red Pom Pom'*
'Homebush'
'Satan'
'Sham's Yellow'*
Evergreen Azaleas
(Most do very well if cold hardy enough to flower.)
'Blaauw's Pink'
'Dayspring'
'Delaware Valley White'
'Elsie Lee'
'Girard's Fuchsia'
'Pleasant White' (syn. 'Girard's Pleasant White')
'Herbert'
'Mother's Day'
'Refrain'
'Rose Greeley'
MIDDLE ATLANTIC CHAPTER
Elepidotes (large-leaf)
'Arthur Bedford'
'Album Elegans'
'Bellringer'
'Cadis'
'Caroline'
'Catawbiense Boursault'
'County of York' (syn. 'Catalode')
'English Roseum'
'Gigi'
'Janet Blair'
'Maxecat'
'Parker's Pink'
'Roseum Elegans'
'Roseum Pink'
'Scintillation'
'Vivacious'
'Wheatley'
R. fortunei
Lepidotes (small-leaf)
PJM Group
R. minus
Deciduous Azaleas
'Cecile'
'Gibralter'
'Gold Crest'
'Homebush'
'Toucan'
R. atlanticum
R. calendulaceum
R. canescens
R. prunifolium
R. viscosum
Evergreen Azaleas (Most evergreen azaleas thrive here and you can hardly go wrong with any of them.)
'Kirin' (syn.'Coral Bells')
'Dream'
'Elizabeth Gable'
'Elsie Lee'
'Glacier'
'Gloria' (Bobbink & Atkins)*
'Gumpo White'
'Gumpo'
'H. H. Hume'
'Herbert'
'Hershey's Red'* (syn. 'Hershey's Bright Red')
'Hino-crimson'
'Girard's Hot Shot' (syn. 'Hot Shot')
'Martha Hitchcock'
'Palestrina'
'Stewartstonian'
'Roehr's Tradition'* (syn. 'Tradition')
R. kaempferi
R. yedoense
var.
poukhanense
POTOMAC VALLEY CHAPTER
Elepidotes (large-leaf) 'Arthur Bedford'
'Albert Close'
'Cadis'
'Caroline'
'Dexter's Champagne'
'David Gable'
'Gigi'
'Janet Blair'
'Rochelle'
'Scintillation'
'Tom Everett'
R. adenopodum
R. catawbiense
R. degronianum
ssp.
heptamerum
R. degronianum
ssp.
yakushimanum
R. degronianum
ssp.
yakushimanum
'Ken Janeck'
R. fortunei
R. hyperythrum
R. makinoi
R. maximum
Lepidotes (small leaf)
'April Snow'
'Mary Fleming'
'Olga Mezitt'
'Gable's Pioneer'
'Windbeam'
PJM Group
R. mucronulatum
'Cornell Pink'
Deciduous Azaleas
'Cecile'
'Chetco'
'Gibraltar'
'Homebush'
'Old Gold'
R. schlippenbachii
Evergreen Azaleas
'Allure'
'Balsaminaeflorum'
'Betty Anne Voss'
'Dayspring'
'Delos'
'Dream'
'Elsie Lee'
'Koromo-shikibu'
'Mildred Mae'
'Narcissiflorum'
'Refrain'
'Rose Greeley'
'Seneca'
R. kiusianum
'Komo-kulshan'