QBARS - v9n3 Rhododendrons That Received Awards in 1955

Rhododendrons that Received Awards From the A.R.S. in 1955

Report of Meeting of Seattle Area Awards Committee
at University of Washington Arboretum, May 29, 1955

Present: Mr. J. H. Bowen, Mr. Carl P. Fawcett, Mr. D. G. Graham, Mr. O. E. Holmdahl, and Mr. B. O. Mulligan (Chairman). Either flowering plants or cut trusses of new seedlings were shown by Mr. L. E. Brandt, Mr. Roy W. Clark, Mr. H. Lem. Mr. D. K. McClure, Mr. H. Madison, Mr. E. Ostbo, and Mr. C. Prentice.

The Committee gave a unanimous P. A. to Rhododendron 'Dream Girl' var. 'Gold Mohur' ('Day Dream' x 'Margaret Dunn') raised by Mr. L. E. Brandt of Tacoma, who also showed a cut truss of his 'Little Joe' (R. repens x 'May Day').

They wished to see the following again, either when larger or as flowering plants:

• From Mr. Clark: 'Puget Sound' ('Van Nes Sensation' x 'Loderi King George', with large ruffled pink flowers.
• From Mr. Lem: 'Darlene' (R. griersonianum x 'Armistice Day'), having large foliage and a rounded truss of bright red flowers. A seedling of R. souliei x R. 'Loderi', and another of R. lacteum x R. 'Loderi' with large clear pink flowers.
• From Mr. Ostbo: Two seedlings of R. discolor x 'Mrs. Donald Graham', both pink, and one of 'Albatross' x &'Mrs. Graham', larger and pale pink.
• From Mr. Prentice: A plant of R. elliottii x 'Fabia' flowering sparsely but of good habit, flower size and red color. Several of the Morgan hybrids shown by Mr. Prentice were not considered to be improvements over existing varieties, but might have value in colder areas and should be propagated for trial elsewhere.
• Two seedlings brought by Mr. McClure were 'Corinne' ('Vulcan' selfed), which had pink, trumpet-shaped flowers with petaloid stamens, and one from 'Tally-ho' x 'Sarita Loder', with small bright red flowers in a rounded head. Both had been raised by Mr. Lem.

'Snowlady' P. A. April, 1955. Evidently a hybrid of leucaspis x ciliatum.
Flowers: 4-8, 5 petals, very good substance, pure white in bud and flower; 2½ inches wide by 2 inches long.
Truss: very short rachis, pedicels scaly ¾ inch long, calyx ¼ inch long, hairy.
Stamens: 10 anthers, chocolate brown.
Leaves: elliptic, 11/2-3 inches long. ¾-1½ wide, under side laxly scaly with minute scales, margin and upper surface setose with long hairs. Petiole ¼ inch long with scales and hairs.
Habit: thick low spreading shrub. 10 year specimen 30 inches high, 5 feet across. Upright.
Blooms: April 10 to May 1, depending on season and environment. Evidently quite hardy, survived -20 night temperature, -10 daytime, winter of '49-'50, lost flower buds above snowline with a few top leaves frost burned.
Origin: cuttings from plant in W. G. Tucker collection who obtained it from Lionel de Rothschild. Labeled leucaspis. All botanical characteristics pointing to R. ciliatum as the pollen parent. Introduced in the A.R.S. test garden, Portland, Ore., and elsewhere as Tucker or Rothschild form of leucaspis by Ben F. Lancaster.

R. 'Geneva' P. A. (R. 'Unknown Warrior' x 'Fabia').
Corolla: 5-lobed, campanulate, frilled recurved 3" wide, l½ long. Inside of corolla, edge of lobes camellia rose H.C.C. 622, shading through 622-1, 622-2, and 622-3 towards center. Inconspicuously spotted on upper lobe (H.C.C., Majolica yellow 09-1).
Outside corolla: same as inside except slightly deeper color.
Calyx: Prominent ¾ as large as corolla, irregularly lobed and frilled.
Pedicel: Same color as corolla, glabrous.
Stamens: 10, uneven, small inconspicuous.
Pistil: prominent recurved.
Grown by John Bacher, Portland, Oregon.

R. 'Bern' P. A. (decorum x garden hybrid)
 7 lobed, fluted, 4 bottom lobes protruding, upper 3 re-curving 4¾" wide, 2½ long, slightly fragrant.
Inside Corolla: pastel mauve 433 shading lighter towards center. Prominent blotch on upper lobes magenta rose 027.
Outside corolla: pastel mauve 433, shading lighter towards center.
Calyx: Inconspicuous 6 unequal lobes.
Stamens: 15 uneven.
Pistil: equal length to longest stamens.
Grown by John Bacher, Portland, Oregon.

R. 'Bacher's Gold' P. A ('Unknown Warrior' x 'Fabia)
Corolla: 6 lobed, broad funnel shaped 4" wide 2" long.
Inside corolla: Edges of lobes Venetian pink, H.C.C. 420-2 shading to saffron yellow 7-3 at center of lobes, Burnt Orange spots 014 on top to lobes shading deep crimson 21.
Outside corolla: Venetian pink 4201 on lobes, shading deeper on veins and calyx.
Calyx: prominent irregularly lobed ¾" to 1½".
Pedicels: glabrous 1¾" long.
Stamens: 12 uneven light cream, anthers brown.
Pistil: prominent protruding.
Grown by John Bacher, Portland, Oregon.

R. 'Lake Labish' P. A. ('Lady Bligh' x 'Loderi Venus') May 14, 1955.
Flowers: 17 in an upright truss.
Pedicel: glandular 2½ inches.
Corolla: Campanulate to slightly funnel shaped, 3½ inches wide, 2 inches long. Lobes 5, Color (H.C.C. Neyron Rose 623).
Petals: 1 inch long, 1½ wide.
Stamens: Barely formed less than ½ inch.
Style: 2 inches, pale green, lower half glandular.
Leaves: 6 inches long, 2½ inches wide. "V" shaped dark green, very pale green beneath. Glaucous, oblong elliptic, apex acute, base obtuse.
Grown and exhibited by Rudolph Henny, Brooks, Oregon.

R. 'Moontide' P. A. (R. wardii x 'Loder's White') May 14, 1955.
Flowers: 14-16 in an upright truss.
Corolla: funnel shaped 3½ inches wide, 1½ inches long. Color White.
Petals: 5-6 1¾ inches wide, 1¼ long.
Stamens: 10, 1¾ long.
Style: 2 inches long, glandular to the tip.
Leaves: 5 inches long, 2 inches wide, elliptic to oblong elliptic, base sharply obtuse.
Grown and exhibited by Rudolph Henny, Brooks, Oregon.