JARS v58n3 - American Rhododendron Society Plant Registry

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 May 31, 2004 by the Royal Horticultural Society, International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Rhododendron . Names conform to the rules and recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants – 7th Edition (2004).

Color numbers refer to the RHS Colour Chart unless noted otherwise. Accompanying color names ar e 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 conforms with that now used by the ICRA. 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: (a) = azalea, (r) = rhododendron, (v) = vireya rhododendron, (z) = azaleodendron; H = hybridized by, G = grown to first flower by, R = raised by, S = selected by, N = named by, I = introduced commercially 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").

(r) 'Easter Sunrise': Elepidote rhododendron: 'Naselle' (s) X a 'Malemute' cross. H (1994), G (2000), N, and REG (2004): James Smith, Mapleton, OR; I (2003): Roadside Rhododendrons, Mapleton, OR. Fls 18/dome truss, broadly funnel-shaped, 2.5" (65mm) long x 4" (100mm) wide, with 5 wavy-edged lobes; strong red (53C) in bud, opening inside pale purplish pink (56D) with a light yellow (10C) center; outside strong pink (54C). Calyx lobes 0.8" (20mm) long, light yellow (10C). Truss 4.5" (115mm) high x 7" (175mm) wide. Lvs held 2 years, 6" x 2" (150 x 50mm), elliptic, apiculate apex, cuneate base; dull and moderate olive green (137A) above; hairless. Shrub 5' (1.5m) high x 5' (1.5m) wide in 7 years, dense habit. Bud hardy to at least 10°F (-12°C). Early.

(r) 'First Date': Lepidote rhododendron: ( R. tapetiforme x R. davidsonianum 'Seranade' *) (s) X R. davidsonianum 'Ruth Lyons'. H (1980), G (1983), N (2004), and REG (2004): Louis Mensing, Eugene, OR; I: Bowhan Nursery, Eugene, OR. Fls 5-6/dome truss, saucer-shaped, 1.2" (30mm) long x 2.2" (55mm) wide, with 5 wavy-edged lobes; strong purplish pink (68B) in bud, opening inside pale purplish pink (68C) with brownish orange (172C) spotting on two dorsal lobes; outside strong purplish pink (68B); pink color becomes more intense with age. Calyx lobes less than 0.1" (c 1.5mm) long, strong yellow green (144C). Truss 2" (50mm) high x 2.5" (65mm) wide. Lvs held 2 years, 2.2" x 1" (55 x 25mm), elliptic, acute apex, cuneate base, wavy margins; glossy and moderate olive green (147A) above; with small, closely-spaced scales below (visible with a magnifying glass). Shrub 3.7' (1.1m) high x 3' (0.9m) wide in 10 years, intermediate habit. Bud and plant hardy to at least 10°F (-12°C). Early.

(r) 'Hawk's Glory': Elepidote rhododendron: 'Jingle Bells' (s) X ('Cream Glory' x 'Crest'). H (1982): Louis Mensing, Eugene, OR; G: Gordon Wylie, Eugene, OR; N (2001): Edmund de Rothschild, Exbury, England and Gordon Wylie; REG (2004): Gordon Wylie. Fls 9-10/ball truss, broadly funnel-shaped, 2" (50mm) long x 2.5"-3" (65-75mm) wide, with 5-7 wavy-edged lobes; brilliant yellow (11A) in bud, opening inside light yellow (10B) with a very slight, vivid red (44A), twin flare at base of dorsal lobe; outside light greenish yellow at margins. Calyx lobes 0.5" (13mm) long, brilliant yellow (10A). Truss 4" (100mm) high x 6" (150mm) wide. Lvs held 2 years, 4" x 1.5" (100x40mm), elliptic, broadly acute apex, rounded base, flat margins; semi-glossy and moderate olive green (147A) above; hairless. Shrub 2.5' (0.75m) high x 4' (1.2m) wide in 8-10 years; dense habit, very floriferous. Bud and plant hardy to at least 5°F (-15°C). Early to midseason (late April-early May in Eugene, OR). (The pollen parent is an unnamed cross by H. Greer.)

(r) 'Henry McKenney': Elepidote rhododendron: R. ririei (s) X unknown. H and G (1980): Galen Baxter, Eugene, OR; N (2004), and REG (2004): James Smith, Mapleton, OR; I: Roadside Rhododendrons, Mapleton, OR. Fls 9/dome truss, funnel-campanulate, 2.5" (65mm) long x 2.5" (65mm) wide, with 5 wavy-edged lobes; vivid reddish purple (74B) in bud, opening inside very pale purple (69B) with a dark purple (79A) dorsal blotch covering about 1/3 of the corolla, extending from the center to the edge; outside light purple (75A). Calyx lobes minute. Truss 4.5" (115mm) high x 6" (150mm) wide. Lvs held 2 years, 7" x 2.5" (175 x 65mm), elliptic, broadly acute apex, cuneate base, flat margins; dull and moderate olive green (147A) above; hairless. Shrub 5' (1.5m) high x 5' (1.5m) wide in 10 years, intermediate habit. Bud and plant hardy to at least 5°F (-15°C). Early. (Frequent Blue Ribbon winner at ARS, Siuslaw Chapter early shows.)

R. 'Tropic Alpine Jolie'
R. 'Tropic Alpine Jolie'
Photo by James Gerdemann

(v) 'Tropic Alpine Jolie': Vireya (lepidote) rhododendron: Cream-flowered R. commonae (s) X ( R. gracilentum x red-flowered R. commonae from Dolo Pass). H (1997), G (2002), N, and REG (2004): James Gerdemann, Yachats, OR. Fls 4-9/lax truss, elongated tubular funnel-shaped, 1.5" (40mm) long x 1.2" (30mm) wide, with 5 flat-edged lobes; a blend of vivid red (52A), deep pink (52B-C), and strong pink (52D) in bud, opening inside and out white with prominent deep to strong pink (52B-C-D) stripes extending from edge of lobes (but not lobe tips which remain white) to base; fading with age; unmarked. Calyx lobes minute, yellowish to brownish green. Truss 2" (50mm) high x 3" (75mm) wide. Lvs held 2-3 years, 1.8" x 0.8" (45 x 20mm), elliptic, broadly acute or obtuse apex, cuneate base, flat margins; semi-glossy and moderate olive green (137B) to moderate yellow green (137C) above; with very small, widely-spaced tan scales below and on pedicels. Shrub 2' (0.6m) high x 2.5' (0.75m) wide in 8 years, open habit. Bud and plant hardy to at least 25°F (-4°C); flowering any time of year.

* The following unregistered name appears as a parent in the above descriptions:
R. davidsonianum 'Seranade': lepidote rhododendron; selection from R. davidsonianum .