DECEMBER. 271 



RHODODENDRONS. 



Among the flowers noticed in the pages of the Florist, the lovely- 

 Rhododendron seems to be very much disregarded, though, from the 

 number of beautiful garden varieties now existing, it may almost claim 

 a share of the Florist's attention. Can too much be said of this 

 magnificent tribe of plants, of which it is almost impossible to ex- 

 aggerate the value in a gardening point of view, and the interest, 

 even while out of flower, of the various habits and foliage of the 

 species and garden hybrids ? In those fortunate situations in England, 

 where the true Arboreum, and its tender varieties, can flourish in the 

 open air, the effect of masses of the scarlet blossom is rich and gor- 

 geous beyond description, and what can be but little imagined by 

 those who have merely seen a plant or two in flower in a con- 

 servatory. Thanks, however, to the Messrs. Waterer, Standish, and 

 Noble, &c, we have now in the colder portions of the kingdom 

 some most lovely sorts, of every colour and size of truss. The 

 beautiful rich scarlet-crimson of John Waterer, the fresh bright 

 pink of Antonio, the spotted bells of Leopardi, and the brilliant white 

 of many, both in pure and spotted varieties. What can be more lovely 

 than the pyramidal truss of the lovely blush Regina, or the glowing 

 crimson of Brayanum ? And now, thanks to Dr. Hooker, we may 

 hope to possess a colour new to the hardy branch of the family in 

 Wighti, which is of a bright yellow with red spots. 



The foliage alone of the Sikkim Rhododendrons is worth the 

 trouble of growing them ; but when we say that they vary in every 

 shade of colour, from the deep blood-hue of Thompsoni and Fulgens, 

 through the pink of Hodgsoni and yellow of Wighti to the snowy 

 white of Falconeri, and the foliage of every size and character, from 

 the heathlike Lepidotum to the gigantic leaf of Falconeri and Ar- 

 genteum, we may well say that we feel enthusiastic in their behalf; 

 and will none of our energies be bestowed in trying to hybridise 

 the bright Apricot-colour of the Javanicum with some of the hardy 

 varieties both of white and scarlet, so as to attain a near approach 

 in richness of tone to the original Java species ? We are promised 

 before long the yellow-flowering species from Borneo, named Brooki, 

 which may also assist us in obtaining this much-desired tint ; and 

 perhaps it may prove of a more hardy constitution than the Javanese 

 plant, of which many complain they can make nothing, though I feel 

 convinced that many owe their failure to too much kindness, and that 

 if they would neglect it, by turning it out of the house, under the 

 shelter of a north wall, during the season they are free from frosts, 

 better success would attend them. There is a garden variety which 

 fully deserves mention to be made of it, called Hibberti : the foliage 

 strongly shows that it claims Campanulatum as its parent, and the 

 flowers, for size and shape, are not to be surpassed even by the tender 

 Dalhousiae; each flower is nearly the size of a coffee-cup, and of 

 French white, much speckled with crimson ; and from not opening 

 until the end of May, it generally escapes being nipped by the spring 



