Smaller rhodos

[Hoy]

This is a nice acquaintance - Rh pentaphyllum (I am not quite sure of that name). Anyway it tolerates hard frost and is better when the winter is dry and cold than when it is wet and mild.

[Todd Boland]

Lovely one Trond!

[Hoy]

Lovely one Trond!

Thanks, Todd.

It was even better a few days later:

[Hoy]

. . . and some new ones in flower now. Here are 3 of the 50+ flowering now in my garden.

Rh cinnabarinum Roylei group




Rh latatum Muncaster Castle




Rh wardii hybrid?

[Hoy]

Two more:
Rh 'Quail' and cinnabarinum xanthocodon.

[killdawabbit]

Thanks for those pics, Trond. Pentaphyllum was already on my 'must have' list. Now I can't wait. Anyone know where I can obtain one? I have looked everywhere I can think of online.
Kyle

[RickR]

Welcome to the forum, Kyle!  Thanks for stoppin' in. 

Knowledge of rhododendrons is quite meager for me, but I love to see them!

[Hoy]

Thanks for those pics, Trond. Pentaphyllum was already on my 'must have' list. Now I can't wait. Anyone know where I can obtain one? I have looked everywhere I can think of online.
Kyle

You are welcome Kyle.
Where do you garden? I obtain plants from Glendoick garden, Scotland and a local nursery with extraordinary plants.

[killdawabbit]

I live in Tennesse, USA. Zone 6b. I primarily grow Oaks, Ericaceous plants, roses and shade perennials and shrubs. I have seen R. pentaphyllum carried by European nurseries but I figured the cost would be prohibitive. And most of them don't ship to US. :-(

[Moyles]

R pentaphyllum is often available from the Rhododendron Species Foundation (see their webpage) .... a better choice would be R quinquefolium available from their Fall catalog (15$).
Can't say enough good things about the quality of their plants .... my pentaphyllum wild collected seed is about 15 years old and blooms sporadically and as a bloomer, quite disappointing, but a fine foliage plant. R tashiroi is often available and very, very satisfactory here in California. The Japanese things love water ... and are often fine foliage plants and not particularly fussy... lot depends on your conditions ... try a quinquefolium a knockout for foliage.   Bill Moyles, Oakland, CA.

[killdawabbit]

Thanks for that suggestion, Bill. I definitely intend to try R. quinquefolium. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to acquire pentaphyllum.
I raised some Azalea seedlings a long time ago. I guess it's about time to get back into growing rhodies from seed.

[Moyles]

What grows and flowers well is obviously a function of a lot of things.  My post implied that R pentaphyllum is a shy bloomer ... well, for me it is.  Other climates, other clones who knows. We do not have a pronounced dormancy here in the Oakland/Berkeley hills, but that does not seem to affect most rh's I grow. And "woodland gardens" we do not really have. Woodlands really imply throwaway space, but on a little over 1/2 there is little space to ignore.  R quinquefolium is considered here to be the "elegant" and perhaps more desireable plant.  My absolute best is R tashiroi (from a Japanese seed selection).  Compact, free blooming but, there are so many fine things available from the Species Foundation that I no longer pursue the seed thing ... and given space limitations one must be very selective. 

Bill Moyles, Oakland, CA
 

[killdawabbit]

Stupid me. I just checked out the RSF. I assumed they only sold seeds. Now i'm going to be a kid in a candy store. Thanks, Bill.

[Moyles]

With reservations ... just gotta say it:  that is a very nice rh but really do not think it is R pentaphyllum (flower shape, foliage etc) ....  all other comments still hold .... Bill Moyles