Interesting. Here, you are unlikely to see any of the Yak hybrids blooming before May. The only rhody showing flowers at this time of year is 'Christmas Cheer'!!

Christmas Cheer tends to show flowers in December and January here. March seems to be the time quite a few rhodies start here, but it’s a slow and steady roll into the full bloom.

Sneezy in particular seems to bud and bloom a little at a time instead of doing a big flush. That may have just been the shady spot I had them in before though. We will see over the next few years now that I have them in a different spot. A big bloom would be more climactic, but there’s others for that. Sneezy strikes me more as having a supporting role instead of star of the show.

IME, Yaks are quite sun tolerant and one often sees them planted in full sun here. That tends to promote a bit more of a bloom show than if they were in more shade - they kind of explode in color all at once.

:-) Good! I’m hoping that happens now that I have moved them. It’s always a chance here with the sun since we have such hot and long summers and the light/sun/heat recommendations for rhodies and azaleas seem to be for areas without the dry inland heat we get here. It can be a bit of a guessing game, but it keeps it interesting! I played it safe with these in the shade first, but I am hoping to see more of that explosion now that they will get more sun.

We finally have sunlight for about 12 hours in March, I guess closer to 14 if you count from first light to last light. I’m guessing that must be why they start a little earlier here.