422 



TREES AND SHRUBS 



NAME. 



^Rhododendron 

 Auckland! 



f R. kewense 



h R. Manglesii 



COUNTRY OR 



ORIGIN AND 



NATURAL ORDER. 



Himalaya 



COLOUR 



AND 



SEASON. 



White 

 May 



A hybrid between 

 R. griffithianum 

 and R. Hookeri 



Delicate 



rose, 



passing to 

 white with 



age; 

 April and 



May 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



; Hybrid sent out White, the 



about 1880 by ; upper petal 



Messrs. Veitch & ispotted with 



Sons, and the out- I red or 



in the bud state. The hand- 

 some leaves are smooth, 

 narrow- oblong, 6 inches to 12 

 inches long, and of a deep 

 lustrous green. When fully 

 grown this becomes a small 

 tree, the bark peeling from 

 the trunk in large flakes. It 

 is not, unfortunately, one of 

 the Himalayan species that 

 can be grown out of doors 

 near London. In Cornwall 

 and similar places it is mag- 

 nificent. It only just escapes 

 being hardy, and can be 

 grown out of doors in tubs 

 for the greater part of the 

 year. Some of the best 

 specimens in the country 

 have, in fact, been grown in 

 this way. Even when placed 

 under glass little or no fire- 

 heat is needed. We know 

 plants that have stood 18 of 

 frost without injury. It is 

 remarkable that this Rhodo- 

 dendron has not been used 

 more for hybridising. Most 

 people seem to have been 

 slow in awakening to its 

 value, and although, at the 

 present time, there are doubt- 

 less thousands of young hy- 

 brids from it in existence, it 

 will be some years before they 

 flower. There are, however, 

 a few hybrids that are hardy 

 and very beautiful. 



This was raised at Kew in 1875, 

 but did not flower until four- 

 teen years later. Since then 

 it has flowered very freely 

 every year. It makes a large 

 hush 6 to 8 feet high, spread- 

 ing, and with leaves resem- 

 bling those of R. griffithi- 

 anum, and the flowers as 

 regards shape and size being 

 also similar, whilst they are 

 very sweetly scented. In 

 addition to the true Kewense, 

 there is a form in cultivation 

 with red flowers. The bracts 

 are light red. Kewense is a 

 hybrid of charming colouring 

 so many shades of rose and 

 deeper-tinted buds. 



This is a very beautiful hybrid, 

 popular, and very free. Al- 

 though the leaves are smaller, 

 this Rhododendron named 



