Only coast rhododendron is native to lowlands in this region - and only in certain sections. Seems to be limited as a significant element in the native flora to areas with coarse soils and frequent fog - not an unexpected combination, as most rhododendrons are prone to root rot and also require substantial summer moisture. I have seen seedlings on logs and duff in the woods behind the neighbor's house here. May have occasionally seen R. poniticum seedlings outside of gardens also - not sure about that. Jacobson, Wild Plants of Greater Seattle reports most coast rhododendron in the Seattle area are planted and that R. ponticum reseeds "rarely".

Thanks for the link bboy. I didn't realize that R. ponticum was such a problem in Britain. Is our wild rhodie native to this area? I have a Rhododendron Hyperythrum that has been grown from seed. It is now about 10 years old, is yet to flower and is about 16 inches high. One thing you have to be is patient if you want to grow from seed!

Dotty have you ever been to Rhododendron Lake here on the Island. We went many years ago but too late in the season to see the Rhodie's in bloom.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Rhododendron Lake

I think the main reason we don't have many volunteer Rhododendrons in our gardens is because most of what we grow come from areas with summer monsoons. Our summers are dry. We just share the same winter cold.
Summer irrigation may help in germination, but in most cases it's erratic and the moisture level is not continuous enough. I think the seeds that do germinate, dry out and die before they get big enough for us to see them.
Seeds in a flat, placed where moisture is continuous, has a better success rate.
I have a lot of Rhodies and have had very few volunteers over the years. Less than ten in all sorts of varying mulch conditions and exposures.

AM, thanks for the link. I had no idea that there were wild Rhodies here on the Island. I'm certainly going to mark my calendar to visit there in early June!
Botann, I'm sure you are right but it certainly is amazing with all of the flowers that not even one little seed manages to germinate in 30 years! I have a favorite rhodie that I am going to try and propogate this year -- it's a lovely blue with a brown throat.

'A. Bedford'?

I have grown some from seed obtained from Berry Botanical....the seedlings are tiny and very fragile. Even with clear instructions and a diligent gardening friend watering them I lost my still itsy bitsy 6 month old seedlings while on a one week vacation. I haven't had the heart to try again.

In contrast rhodies and azaleas are relatively easy from cuttings. just keep them moist and misted. jwww

I think it's usual to start the seedlings indoors. Maybe you did that and then lost them later, after they were moved outside.

Started indoors but had been in very sheltered outside shady spot for at least 2 months when I lost them. I'm sure it was hot dry weather and not enough water. I was watering in AM but checking again in PM and always spraying lightly in PM. Just watered/sprayed 1x/day while I was away. jwww

I guess it's Nature's way of keeping the numbers down. With so many flowers on a bush, if all of the seeds produced germinated, the world would be overrun with them. JudyW: It would be heartbreaking to lose them after that much work!

Rhododendrons often do produce quantities of seeds. In the wild what would keep numbers down would be failure of seeds to survive after being produced and shed.

R. ponticum has volunteered in many places around Ucluelet and Tofino on Vancouver Island. There are several in my yard in fact. George Fraser, a pioneering Rhododendron hybridizer, brought the plant here a hundred years ago. I believe he also used R. macrophyllum as a parent for many of his crosses.

Here is a link that might be useful: George Fraser

That's interesting henry. Some of the posts above said that they require summer monsoons to establish so perhaps your cool, damp summer is what allows R. Ponticum to volunteer. We haven't been to Tofino in many years but I hear that the R. garden there is spectacular, so perhaps we will plan a trip when it is in season...mind you with our lousy weather this year, it might be July!

Hi Dotty, if you haven't seen Ken Gibson's Rhododendron Garden in Tofino it's a must see, it's breathtaking. Although not the greatest of photo's the link below will give you some idea of what it looks like.

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Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1067343}}

That is one SPECTACULAR rhodie garden! I am certainly going to push for a visit there this year. As I said, it's been too many years since we visited Tofino. This gives me one more reason...

I have been to Ucluelet several times and had no idea there was a Rhododendron garden like that in Tofino. If I had known I would have driven the extra distance without question. How come it isn't publicized better? It will probably be sometime before I can make it up to Vancouver Island again.
I'm in the mountains of Colorado for a week now and missing some Spring in the NW.

Here's another link, scroll down towards the bottom for a little more info on this fabulous garden. A few years back I was lucky enough to tour this garden with the garden club I belong to.

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Here is a link that might be useful: A little more info...

AM is this a private garden or is it open to the public? Your newsletter says it is spectacular in April and May but I'm sure it will be later THIS year with all of the cold weather!

This is a private garden, but when we were there as a group we all signed his guest book, there were entries from near and far away. I'm not sure what the protocol for visiting Ken Gibson's garden is but if one was to contact one of the contact people of the above Rhododendron society I'm sure they could give you more details. One thing I should mention if heading up that way it's a good thing to be prepared for rain, umbrella, raincoat, boots etc. especially this time of year. The day we were there it poured off and on but the Rhodo's were still magnificent. Sorry, I don't belong to the above society so can't give you any specific info.

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