BtjotiotJentJron ^ocietp 
Hardiness of 
Himalayan 
Rhododendrons. 
The Garden, November 2&th, 1881. 
I have received several communications relating to the article on 
R. Aucklandii, published in The Garden some weeks ago. 
Among others the Rev. H. Ewbank kindly invited me to inspect the 
Rhododendrons growing in the garden of Sir W. Hutt, near Ryde, Isle of Wight. 
A few lines on what I saw there may be interesting to your readers. On the 
grass in front of the conservatory, and somewhat screened by it, stood, separately, 
three plants, each of a different Rhododendron species. R. Falconeri was 
5 feet or 6 feet high, and I think had not flowered. There was nothing strange 
in finding this species perfectly hardy and healthy in the open ground, for during 
last summer I had seen, even in the Highlands, a much larger and finer specimen, 
and in various places it thrives and blossoms annually. The second plant was 
a bush of R. Thomsonii which had never bloomed, although of large size. Here 
again there was no marvel, for this often shy bloomer is quite hardy and often 
opens its wax-like crimson bells unharmed by spring frosts. 
The third plant was one of R. Nuttallii, cut to the ground last ^vinter, but 
shooting strongly again. This did indeed astonish me, for I look upon the 
species, as a rule, as whoUy tender, and once I lost hopelessly ten fine plants by 
turning them out of doors in sheltered positions. 
In a windy spot among trees, a 6-feet or 7-feet specimen of R. Aucklandii 
was battling with the breeze. This had bloomed grandly where it stood in 
May last. From description it would appear to be one of the best types of the 
species, matching perhaps Mr. Boscawen’s plant in hardiness and loveliness. 
My friends in Scotland cannot credit the comparative hardiness of 
R. Aucklandii, in spite of all I have seen and written, but I was not at all 
astonished to find it thriving well in the Isle of Wight. Lower down the slope, 
which faced north and overlooked the sea, two beds of Himalayan Rhododendrons 
had been planted. The spots were partially sheltered by pines and shrubs. In 
the centre of one bed stood a fine standard of some type of R. arboreum, said 
to be brilliantly scarlet, and certainly presenting the foliage features of the best 
and tenderest form. Round it were bushes of R. calophyllum, Maddenii, 
Edgeworthii, formosum, ciliatum, and such hybrids as “ Sesterl^num,” 
" Princess Alice,” “ Macnabianum,” etc. I was told that these plants had 
occupied the bed for some years without any protection. 
The condition of some of them, considering the character of last winter, was 
truly wonderful to me. R. arboreum was covered with bloom buds, and the 
foliage fine and healthy. R. calophyllum was also covered with bloom buds, 
and upon it and upon R. Maddenii were half-ripened capsules from the bloom 
of last summer. 
These two last are not to be considered as one species, but in point of 
hardiness at least there is a great difference. With me the former survives. 
104 
