yeah, not much more to add except the amusing sobriquet Camforest came up with for this species, "redneck rhododendron". Of course with the southgate series and related hybrids it is now possible to grow rhododendrons in the south...so maybe those are the new "redneck rhododendrons". They are probably harder to move than "real" rhododendrons; I lost one I moved from my Virginia garden to my Maryland garden, one of the only plants I tried to save.

There's an absolutely amazing looking variegated form - four very distinct shades of green through yellow in an almost checkered pattern - but both me and Ron Rabideau lost our plants in the first cold winter. It's definitely weaker growing than the normal one.

Another way the forms seem to vary is how bright a red the petioles are.

This has done well for me. Petioles seem to turn red more in fall and winter on this one. And it's in at least half day shade, so that may play a role?

I've killed every rhodo I've ever planted. So far 0 for 5 on those. But in all fairness, the spots were probably not ideal.

Yeah, they've got to come up with a better name than "redneck rhododendron". That ain't gonna sell.

where did you get this one? just curious

I think Forest Farm, but now I can't recall. I've ordered from so many online places.

Colvos Creek, Forest Farm, Rare Find, Nurseries Caroliniana, Cam Forest, Woodlanders. Probably one of those!

Come on Dave, any serious collector keeps a spreadsheet!

Hi Dave,

Did you purposely train this to a tree form or is that just the way it grows? I just wonder if it would otherwise keep its lower branches.

Sam, the one I bought in the early 2000s was kind of whippy and unlike a rhododendron that likes to break from the base, naturally assumed a sort of lollipop shape with the first leaves about 4' off the ground. I've seen others like that too - I think they try to quickly get "off the ground" so to speak. I think it's just something this species does but we will see if Dave had the same experience.

Sam, I did cut off a few lower limbs. Not many though. Where I have it, I needed it limbed up a bit.

By the way, here is a nice specimen growing at U. of Delaware. Pretty large specimen for that far north. I've not seen a larger one. More of a tree than a shrub, wouldn't you say?

Not my photo.

Yeah that one has never been injured as far as I know. (I wasn't around for 1994, which I believe was slightly worse that 2014 & 2015.)

same plant, see my hat at the base for scale. What's really strange is two smaller ones coming up smack alongside the building, they can't be volunteers?????? No one would plant them there in front of the windows. The flowers are dioecious right? Interesting whitish leaf underside, noticeable when windy.

Oh, I've seen many seedlings in those beds. In fall the berry display on that one is pretty nice, it's a shame they aren't a little bigger (the berries I mean)

What's odd with this garden is how many semi-idiotic things they've been planting recently...like Butia capitata, which of course was toast in one of the cold winters. The building walls help but unless they install a glass roof, isn't going to magically make the area zone 8b. OTOH, some experimental plants are surprisingly healthy looking like the Schima wallichiana.

There are numerous Daph. seedlings coming up in the Nat. Arboretum. Cool to see.

No I think it was just Kei-Mei's sense of humor at work.

It does look like a Schefflera! Cool

Sam do you also hunt down opuntias?