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Popular rhododendrons, azaleas need special care

RHODODENDRO*#S AND
azaleas are two of the more
popular garden shruifos
grown in the Pacific
Northwest.

Roy
Jonsson

“SOW IT GROWS

The name rhododendron comes
from two Greek words meaning
“rose” and “tree”, while azalea is ©
from the Greek word for “dry”. _

Although most gardeners think
of these plants as two separate
species, azaleas are a sub genus of
thododendrons which are closely
related to heather, caliuna, blueber-
ties, salal and kalrnia.

_-. There are more than 1,200
Species of rhododendron with most
of them being found in iwo areas of

. the world. A Himalayan triangle’

* covering part of China, Tibet and

* Burma has about 700 and New

Guinea accounts for another 300.
During the 19th and 20th cen-
turies, English plant hunters
launched expeditions into the
Himalayan region to comb the
forests in search of new rhododen-
dron species.
-.” All species of wild rhododendron
can be sub-divided into /ypidotes,
which have dot-sized scales under
"their leaves, and elepidotes, which
have no scales.
Using these two groups of rhodo-
. dendrons, plant breeders have creat-
. ed some 8,000 new hybrids.
Azaleas are generally divided
into evergreen (or semi-evergreen)

06 on

and deciduous types. The evergreen
azaleas are commonly called
Japanese azaleas while the decidu-
ous are often referred to as the
Exbury type.

All azaleas have tiny hairs on
their leaves and lack the scales of
the lepidote rhododendrons. Most
azaleas also have flowers with five
stamens and five lobes as opposed
to most rhododendrons which have
10.

Rhadodendrons have adapted to
a wide range of growing conditions.
In the Himalayas, they are found at
elevations from 2,000 10 18,000 feet
and vary in height! from 50-foot trees
to two-foot windswept shrubs.

Where rhododendrons are the
dominant species, whole forests
have evolved creating an under-
storey where little light reaches the

. ground and a thick layer of damp
leaf mould covers the forest floor.

Choosing the right rhododendron
for your garden should be based on
height, color and blossoming time.

They are rated by the size they
will grow in 10 years: dwarf, 1.5
feet; semi-dwarf, three feet; low, 4.5
feet; medium, six feet; and tall, eight
feet or higher.

Planting a tall rhododendron ina
garden bed below a low window
will only cause problems three or
four years later.

The first rhododendrons start
blooming in late January and others
bloom as late as June.

If you are planting more than one
rhododendron it is important to
chose plants with different blooming
times so that there will be a longer
period of color.

Rhododendrons tend to be happi-
er in light or dappled shade although
many hybrids will do well in full
sun providing their other cultural
conditions are met.

One rule of thumb is the larger
the leaves, the more shade the plant
will tolerate. In deep shade, under
conifers, rhododendrons may grow
but will be reluctant to bloom.

Azaleas will grow in areas where
they have shade part of the day, but
preter sun. This is particularly true
for the dwarf evergreen or Japanese
style azaleas.

Before planting rhododendrons
or azaleas, you need to know what
soil conditions they like.

The plants need a constant source

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WITH MORE than 1,200 species of rhododendron in the world, choosing the appropriate plant
for your yard, and caring for that plant, takes careful consideration.

of moisture but will not tolerate sit-
ting in poorly drained soil.

If in doubt about the drainage,
dig a hole and fill il with water. If
the water doesn’t drain away within
a few seconds you must improve
drainage or soil texture.

Rhododendrons like an aerated
soil and this can be achieved by
done using coarse organic amend-
ments such as compost, composted
wood or very coarse peat.

Fine peat will not provide suffi-

cient air space and it drains poorly.
About one-quarter to one-half of the
soil volume should be air space.
When planting rhododendrons
make sure the top of the root ball is
at ground level or slightly higher if
you plan to add a layer of mulch. A
good compost mulch will help to
keep the plants cool in summer and
warm in winter, while retaining. °
moisture and controlling the weeds.
Fine peat or plastic should never
be used as a mulch or cover. As the

plants grow and drop their leaves,
they will supply some of their own
mulch i in the ferm of dead leaves.
Learn to leave the leaf matter ;
under the plants as a mulch or rake it.
up, mulch it with your power
mower, and then putitbackin =
place. During dry months rhododen-
drons can be watered at any time
and require enough water to soak
through the fibrous layer of roots. . -

See Water page 19

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