UW Botanic Gardens Plant Profile On Hobbit Trees
Each month the UW Botanic Gardens' Newsletter, E-Flora, posts in detail about a specific plant, among many other interesting posts about events and general information.
This month's feature is about rhododendrons.
Rhododendrons |
 Foliage of Rhododendron praetans | The word “rhododendron” comes from the Greek rhódon for “rose” and déndron for “tree.” Certainly, rhododendrons have earned their reputation for their magnificent floral display, and one can be forgiven for thinking of these plants simply as “rose trees.” However, with most rhododendrons blooming for one month or less, we are left with 11 months of the year looking at foliage alone. For a region in need of visual stimulation for much of the sun-starved year, gardens should be planned and planted more often with attractive and stimulating foliage in mind. |
The Rhododendron subsection Grandia has oversized foliage that is not just handsome, but transporting. The sometimes shockingly large and lush leaves evoke other lands and latitudes. I believe that this simple categorization of this spectacular and diverse genus (more than 1200 species) as a floral phenom results in the impoverishment of many a garden. According to Cox’s Guide to Choosing Rhododendrons, Rhododendron falconeri in subsection Falconera deserves the credit for the longest lasting flowers of the genus — up to a month or more. Though impressive, this still leaves us with 11 months of the year looking at foliage alone. For a region in need of visual stimulation for much of the sun-starved year, gardens should be planned and planted more often with attractive and stimulating foliage in mind. A quick disclaimer: before any rhododendron aficionados begin turning red in the face, I agree that relatively smaller-leafed species such as R. pachysanthum, R. bureavii, and R. mallotum are among the most handsome foliage plants available anywhere. However, it is some of the fine species from the subsection Grandia that I believe deserve more space in the garden as the foliage is not just handsome, but transporting. The sometimes shockingly large and lush leaves evoke other lands and latitudes.  Within the appropriately named subsection, Grandia, the species with the largest leaves are classified. The elephant in the garden is clearly Rhododendron sinogrande. With leaves that can reach 36 inches, no other Rhododendron can go toe to toe regarding awesome foliage. Spectacular new leaves unfurl grey and metallic, becoming a rich bottle-green with silver indumentum. The leaves are thick and leathery. Rhododendron sinogrande is native to the northeast of the Chinese province of Yunnan, upper Myanmar and southeast Tibet. It was introduced to the west by George Forrest in 1912 after he encountered it in Yunnan. The ding against this species for the Pacific Northwest is that the hardiness of R. sinogrande is right on the edge of damage. Plants do get more able to withstand drops in temperature as they age, but be prepared to wrap or otherwise protect your investment for years after planting during sudden cold snaps. R. sinogrande is listed as hardy to +10 degrees F, but that may with ideal siting, during an ideal winter. In the wild, plants may reach 40 feet in height, but in cultivation 10 feet is typical. A 3 foot tall specimen can be seen near the top of the creek in Rhododendron Glen (grid 13-7E). Family: Ericaceae Genus: Rhododendron Subgenus: Hymenanthes Section: Ponticum Subsection: Grandia or Falconera |
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