ID for very old rhododendron?

7 years ago

This rhododendron is in our garden, which was started in 1905 by my DH's great grandparents, and has been in the family ever since. From where it is planted (an overgrown part of what used to be a formal garden), I am guessing it was planted in the 1930s or earlier. It blooms every year, and I love its dainty, lacy blooms. Any ideas about who it might be? They tended to plant "popular" plants they bought at the West End Nursery in San Rafael, CA. (Aside - that was just their local nursery, but it also has turned out to be, to my astonishment, the oldest continuing operating nursery in CA. It is still going, and is still owned by the same family who founded it in the late 19th century). Anyway, most of the old surviving plants and roses we have been able identify have turned out to be whatever was "in" and "new" and popular when they planted them. Some of the roses planted very early have turned out to be rare and/or endangered, but they were the latest thing when acquired.

So, I was wondering about this surviving rhododendron - here are several pictures of it I took two days ago - just starting to bloom:

Thanks for your help -

Jackie

Featured Answer

Embothrium

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Probably an R. ponticum hybrid, maybe R. x superponticum*. Almost certainly got there as root stock for another rhododendron that has since died. This could explain why the existing top is tiny for its age, with perhaps there even being a history of somebody gardening the site cutting this kind off in the past. If you pull the Irish ivy back and look at the base of the shrub you may see an old stump with these comparatively young branches coming out of it. Up here grafted combinations using similar stocks are very common in plantings dating back to the period when garden hybrid rhododendrons were grafted instead of raised from cuttings, sold on their own roots. As with other grafted decorative trees and shrubs such as Japanese flowering cherries occupants of properties where these are present often leave sprouts coming from root stocks to grow up and elbow or even replace the scions which were what was chosen and purchased originally.

*Complex garden hybrid dating from the 19th century and developed using intentional crosses between R. catawbiense, R. maximum and/or R. macrophyllum and R. ponticum. It differs from the true R. ponticum in being hardier and more vigorous, with a wider range of flower color from rose pink to deep purple.

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Comments (6)

akamainegrower
7 years ago
Based on the flower color, the rather sparse truss (the cluster of blossoms) and the leaf shape, I would say the species rhododendron ponticum. I have no idea, however, if this species would grow in your area of CA or if it was available at local nurseries in the 1930's.
jacqueline9CA
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the info - I did look up r ponticum, and it looks much pinker and more fluffy than mine. Mine is more purple, and the blooms are much thinner and daintier. Perhaps it is some other species.

Jackie
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Oh, goody - I like having mysteries! Re the buff color - it turns out it ONLY does that in dark shade, where my original one is. The mature one growing in the sun does not do that - it blooms fade to white, not buff. So, trospero, I'll bet you have never seen blooms of Awakening which have grown in full shade. Re the petal configuration, it changes constantly - I will post some more pics of the one at my SIL's house. I understand the timing issue re Awakening, but if a rose sports once, why can it not sport the same way in another location? I am ignorant - don't know the odds, but I have heard of that happening. Do any of you think it is New Dawn? I ask because 2 people at the Celebration of Roses told me "it looks similar to New Dawn, but it is NOT New Dawn".. I have learned over the years that the old mystery roses which were planted in my garden by my DH's ancestors were popular roses when they were planted. They got them, I am told, at the West End Nursery in San Rafael (which turns out to be the oldest still operating nursery in California). My point is, New Dawn is just the sort of rose they would have planted, and perhaps it sported to Awakening just like the Czech one did? Here is another pic from my SIL's one - Jackie
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Thanks so much! I will definitely visit that site. Just one comment on bloom time - I have noticed over 25 years of gardening that most plants bloom earlier here in Cal than they do on the East Coast, Midwest, or the UK. My earliest roses start blooming in Feb. Even types that only start blooming on the East Coast in May/June bloom here in April. Bulbs ditto. Our fruit trees all over the county bloom in Feb/March. Our acacia trees all bloom in Jan, whereas I saw one (an import, of course) blooming in Pa in June! I'm not sure if it is a function of our rains in Nov/Dec breaking the 6 month summer drought, or light, or warm temps, but it is a fact. So, I am not sure that bloom time is a good indicator to use for identifying. So, I am going to keep an open mind on that score. Thanks again for all of your help - Jackie
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jacqueline9CA
Original Author
7 years ago
Embothrium - thank you so much! I love it when root stock comes up - story --once a very old boring standard rose died in our old garden, and we dug it up. The next year, low and behold new rose canes popped up there, and proceeded to get 8-10 feet long! Being curious, I left them. Four years with no blooms later (but lots of long canes coming up), the bush covered itself in fat, lovely blooms and they opened to the most gorgeous, fragrant roses I had ever seen. Got ID'd as 'de la Grifferaie" an old French rose which was evidently used for root stock. It is a once bloomer, but a fantastic rose, and I love it.

Anyway, I am sure you are correct. I looked and did not find a stump, but that old rhododendron is growing in an out-of-the-way clearing in an area of our garden which has been mostly left to itself for 50+ years, and I am sure the soil level has buried the stump or whatever. Here is a pic I just took 5 minutes ago - it is in full bloom now. Thanks for your help -

Jackie
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
About the only Rhododendron I can id! Is R ponticum invasive anywhere in the US? It's a nightmare in some areas of the UK. It may look beautiful but it shouldn't be there.
PRO
Pravinman Tuladhar
6 years ago
Whatever be the species or cultivar, your rhodie looks special and is indeed a healthy specimen. Care to give it a little more love by removing the surrounding under and over growth. Since these blue/purple ones are not available in our part of the world... would love to hear more comments from others.

ID for very old rhododendron?

Embothrium

Comments (6)

akamainegrower

jacqueline9CA
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ID for very old rhododendron?

Embothrium

Comments (6)

akamainegrower

jacqueline9CAOriginal Author

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jacqueline9CAOriginal Author

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

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jacqueline9CA
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jacqueline9CA
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