IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XIV 



No. 160 



Editor J- W. Besant. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JUNE 

 1919 



Rhododendrons at Rowallane in April. 





]-)> H. Ahmytagk Moork. 



HAVE been glad to read a note m 

 Irish Gardening for April on 

 early flowering Rhododendrons, 

 and, in view of the much in- 

 creased interest now being so de- 

 servedly taken in the genus, I 

 venture to refer to some of the species which 

 have flowered here during the present month. At 

 the outset I may mention that very little injui'v 

 has so far resulted from frost here this month, 

 and that Rhododendrons have consequently 

 enjoyed a favourable season for flowering. Both 

 Rh. Davidii and Rh. oreodoxa (?) have bloomed 

 here, the latter in some profusion. The descrip- 

 tion of the former as given by " B. " in the note 

 previously referred to does not correspond with 

 the plant under this name originally sent out 

 by V^eitch of Coombe Wood, nor with that de- 

 scribed in Bean's " Trees and Slnnibs." It is 

 also, I believe, doubtful if the true Rh. oreo- 

 doxa is in this country. The plant here is lui- 

 doubtedly that given by Bean as Rh. haemato- 

 cheilum. In any case, neither species has, so 

 far, proved itself worthy of much enthusiasm. 



A well-grown plant of the Rh. sutchuenense 

 has expanded some fine trusses of pale lavender- 

 pink flowers of good size and substance. Set 

 amidst long, pointed leaves of rich green, the 

 aspect of the whole plant is very striking, and 

 its whole character and aspect entitle it to rank 

 high amongst Wilson's introductions. Rh. 

 fulgens, near by, brilliant of colour, stiff and 

 compact of truss, provides a striking contrast, 

 and makes the enthusiastic hybridist wonder as 

 to how these two would mate. Rh. Shilsoni, 

 with over fifty well-developed trusses in scarlet- 

 crimson, stands out as magnificent, whether 

 viewed from near or far. Horticulturally, one 

 can scarcely imagine anything finer than such 

 a plant in the bright light of an April day. Rh. 

 ciliatum, probably iinrivaHed for fi-eedom of 



flo^^■er, yields solid masses of l)loom in the rock- 

 garden, but I must make special mention of the 

 Caerhays variety, a lovely flower of palest shell- 

 pink, delicate and refined, like a miniature 

 Griffithianum. Rh. oleifolium, somewhat in 

 the way of racemosum, but better both in 

 colour of flower and habit of growth, promises 

 well as a rock-garden shrub. Rh. flavidum, 

 pale primrose, a delicate little flower of infinite 

 grace and chami amidst diminutive, bronze- 

 green leafage, stands attractively at the base 

 of a bold rock on a carpet of Viola gracilis. A 

 verv conspicuous plant here is the as yet un- 

 identified No. 8939 of Forrest. The flower is 

 of a brilliant scarlet-crimson, freely-borne, 

 even on young plants, in a loose truss, each 

 individual bloom well shown. The plant 

 has a good bushy habit, and has so far proved 

 itself perfectly hardy here. From every point 

 of view it would seem to possess all the quali- 

 ties of a really first-class shrub. Its identifica- 

 tion will, no doubt, soon be forthcoming. So 

 far it is said to bear affinity to Rh. neriiflorum, 

 a very attractive species which has not as yet 

 flowered here. 



For such as Rh. polylepis (Harrovianum), 

 longistvlum, Sargentianum, Yanthinum, and 

 its variety lepidanthum, there is no apparent 

 cause for enthusiasm, though lack of good 

 colouring is partly recompensed by hardiness of 

 constitution and freedom of flower. 



Rh. lutescens improves each year, and though 

 the pale yellow flowers have neither size nor 

 lasting qualities, there is a grace and lightness 

 about a good plant in full bloom which has a 

 decided atraction. 



Rh. Hanceanum flowers here in iMay, and 

 should not, therefore, be included in this cate- 

 gory, but it well deserves recognition, and as 

 a fow-growing, free-flowering shrub for rock- 

 work it must prove a valuable introduction. 



