Rhododendron
Rhododendron | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Rhododendron ferrugineum | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Subfamily: | Ericoideae |
Tribe: | Rhodoreae |
Genus: | Rhododendron L.[2] |
Type species | |
Rhododendron ferrugineum | |
Subgenera[3] | |
Former subgenera:
| |
Synonyms[4] | |
List
|
Rhododendron (
It is the
Etymology
The common and generic name comes from
Description

Rhododendron is a genus of
They have frequently been divided based on the presence or absence of scales on the abaxial (lower) leaf surface (
Rhododendron are characterised by having
Taxonomy





Rhododendron is the largest genus in the family Ericaceae, with over 1,000 species,[16][17] (though estimates vary from 850 to 1,200)[18][19] and is morphologically diverse. Consequently, the taxonomy has been historically complex.[15]
Early history
Although Rhododendrons had been known since the description of
Linnaeus' six species of Azalea were
Soon, as more species became available in the nineteenth century so did a better understanding of the characteristics necessary for the major divisions. Chief amongst these were
Modern classification
The next major attempt at classification was by
Sleumer's system underwent many revisions by others, predominantly the Edinburgh group in their continuing Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh notes. Cullen of the Edinburgh group, placing more emphasis on the lepidote characteristics of the leaves, united all of the lepidote species into subgenus Rhododendron, including four of Sleumer's subgenera (Rhododendron, Pseudoazalea, Pseudorhodorastrum, Rhodorastrum).[36][37] In 1986 Philipson & Philipson raised two sections of subgenus Aleastrum (Mumeazalea, Candidastrum) to subgenera, while reducing genus Therorhodion to a subgenus of Rhododendron.[38] In 1987 Spethmann, adding phytochemical features proposed a system with fifteen subgenera grouped into three 'chorus' subgenera.[39]
A number of closely related genera had been included together with Rhododendron in a former tribe, Rhodoreae. These have been progressively incorporated into Rhododendron.
Phylogeny
Cladogram of genus Rhododendron (Goetsch et al. 2005) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The era of molecular analysis rather than descriptive features can be dated to the work of Kurashige (1988) and Kron (1997) who used
The major finding of Goetsch and colleagues was that all species examined (except
Thus subgenera Azaleastrum and Pentanthera needed to be disassembled, and Rhododendron, Hymenanthes and Tsutsusi correspondingly expanded. In addition to the two separate genera included under Rhododendron by Chamberlain (
Subgenus Pentanthera (deciduous azaleas) with its four sections was dismembered by eliminating two sections and redistributing the other two between the existing subgenera in clades B (Hymenanthes) and C (Azaleastrum), although the name was retained in section Pentanthera (14 species) which was moved to subgenus Hymenanthes. Of the remaining three sections, monotypic Viscidula was discontinued by moving R. nipponicum to Tsutsusi (C), while Rhodora (2 species) was itself polyphyletic and was broken up by moving R. canadense to section Pentanthera (B) and R. vaseyi to section Sciadorhodion, which then became a new section of subgenus Azaleastrum (C).
Subgenus Tsutsusi (C) was reduced to section status retaining the name, and included in subgenus Azaleastrum. Of the three minor subgenera, all in C, two were discontinued. The single species of
Chamberlain (1996) | Goetsch (2005) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genus | Subgenus | Section | Species | Subgenus | Section |
Menziesa | 9 species | Azaleastrum C |
Sciadorhodion | ||
Rhododendron | Candidastrum | R. albiflorum | |||
Pentanthera | Sciadorhodion | 4 species | |||
Rhodora | R. vaseyi | ||||
R. canadense | Hymenanthes B |
Pentanthera | |||
Pentanthera | 14 species | ||||
Viscidula | R. nipponicum | Azaleastrum C |
Tsutsusi | ||
Tsutsusi | Brachycalyx | 15 species | |||
Tsutsusi | 65 species | ||||
Mumeazalea | R. semibarbatum | ||||
Azaleastrum | Choniastrum | 11 species | Choniastrum A |
Subsequent research has supported the revision by Goetsch, although has largely concentrated on further defining the phylogeny within the subdivisions.[48] In 2011 the two species of Diplarche were also added to Rhododendron, incertae sedis.[49]
Subdivision
This genus has been progressively subdivided into a hierarchy of subgenus, section, subsection, and species.
Subgenera
Terminology from the Sleumer (1949) system is frequently found in older literature, with five subgenera and is as follows;
- Subgenus Lepidorrhodium Koehne: Lepidotes. 3 sections
- Subgenus Eurhododendron Maxim.: Elipidotes.
- Subgenus Pseudanthodendron Sleumer: Deciduous azaleas. 3 sections
- Subgenus Anthodendron Rehder & Wilson: Evergreen azaleas. 3 sections
- Subgenus Azaleastrum Planch.: 4 sections
In the later traditional classification, attributed to Chamberlain (1996), and as used by
- Subgenus Rhododendron L.: Small leaf or lepidotes (scales on the underside of the leaves). 3 sections, 462 species, type species: R. ferrugineum.
- Subgenus elepidotes (without scales). 1 section, 224 species, type R. degronianum.
- Subgenus Pentanthera (G. Don) Pojarkova: Deciduous azaleas. 4 sections, 23 species, type R. luteum.
- Subgenus Tsutsusi (Sweet) Pojarkova: Evergreen azaleas. 2 sections, 80 species, type R. indicum.
- Subgenus Azaleastrum Planch.: 2 sections, 16 species, type R. ovatum.
- Subgenus Candidastrum Franch.: 1 species, R. albiflorum.
- Subgenus Mumeazalea (Sleumer) W.R. Philipson & M.N. Philipson: 1 species, Rhododendron semibarbatum.
- Subgenus Therorhodion (Maxim.) A. Gray: 2 species (Rhododendron camtschaticum, Rhododendron redowskianun).
For a comparison of the Sleumer and Chamberlain systems, see Goetsch et al. (2005) Table 1.[3]
This division was based on a number of what were thought to be key morphological characteristics. These included the position of the inflorescence buds (terminal or lateral), whether lepidote or elepidote, deciduousness of leaves, and whether new foliage was derived from


Inflorescence buds | Leaf scales | Leaf shoots | Leaves | Subgenus | Section |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Terminal | Present | Rhododendron | |||
Absent | Previous year | Evergreen | Hymenanthes | ||
Deciduous | Pentanthera | Pentanthera | |||
Rhodora | |||||
Viscidula | |||||
Lowest leaves | Pentanthera | Sciadorhodion | |||
Tsutsusi | |||||
Lateral | Evergreen | Azaleastrum | |||
Deciduous | Candidastrum | ||||
Mumeazalea | |||||
Therorhodion |
Following the
Clade A
- Subgenus Rhododendron L.: Small leaf or lepidotes (scales on the underside of the leaves). 3 sections, about 400 species, type species: R. ferrugineum.
- Subgenus Choniastrum Franch.: 11 species
Clade B
- Subgenus elepidotes (without scales), including deciduous azaleas. 2 sections, about 140–225 species, type R. degronianum.
Clade C
- Subgenus Azaleastrum Planch.: Evergreen azaleas. 3 sections, about 120 species, type Rhododendron ovatum.
- Subgenus Therorhodion (Maxim.) A. Gray: 2 species (R. camtschaticum and R. redowskianun).
Sections and subsections
The larger subgenera are further subdivided into sections and subsections[51] Some subgenera contain only a single section, and some sections only a single subsection. Shown here is the traditional classification, with species number after Chamberlain (1996), but this scheme is undergoing constant revision. Revisions by Goetsch et al. (2005)[3] and by Craven et al. (2008)[48] shown in (parenthetical italics). Older ranks such as Series (groups of species) are no longer used but may be found in the literature, but the American Rhododendron Society still uses a similar device, called Alliances[50]
- Subgenus Rhododendron L. (3 sections, 462 species: increased to five sections in 2008)
- (Discovereya (Sleumer) Argent, raised from Vireya)
- Pogonathum Aitch. & Hemsl. (13 species; Himalaya and adjacent mountains)
- (Pseudovireya (C.B.Clarke) Argent, raised from Vireya)
- Rhododendron L. (149 species in 25 subsections; temperate to subarctic Northern Hemisphere)
- Vireya (Blume) Copel.f. (300 species in 2 subsections; tropical southeast Asia, Australasia. At one time considered separate subgenus[52])
- Subgenus Hymenanthes (Blume) K.Koch (1 section, 224 species) (Increased to two sections)
- Ponticum G. Don (24 subsections)
- (Pentanthera (G. Don) Pojarkova (2 subsections – new section, moved from subgenus Pentanthera)
- Subgenus Pentanthera (G. Don) Pojarkova (4 sections, 23 species) (Discontinued)
- Pentanthera (G. Don) Pojarkova (2 subsections – moved to subgenus Hymenanthes)
- Rhodora (L.) G. Don (2 species; Rhododendron canadense, Rhododendron vaseyi) (Discontinued, redistributed)
- Sciadorhodion Rehder & Wilson (4 species) (Moved to subgenus Azaleastrum)
- Viscidula Matsum. & Nakai (1 species; Rhododendron nipponicum) (Discontinued, added to section Tsutsusi, subgenus Azaleastrum)
- Subgenus Tsutsusi (Sweet) Pojarkova (2 sections, 80 species) (Discontinued, reduced to section and moved to subgenus Azaleastrum)
- BrachycalyxSweet (3 alliances, 15 species)
- Tsutsusi(Sweet) Pojarkova (65 species)
- Subgenus Azaleastrum Planch. (2 sections, 16 species) (Increased to three sections)
- Azaleastrum Planch. (5 species)
- (Choniastrum Franch. (11 species) (Raised to subgenus))
- (Sciadorhodion Rehder & Wilson (4 species) (Moved from subgenus Pentanthera))
- (Tsutsusi (Sweet) Pojarkova (reduced from subgenus))
- Subgenus Candidastrum Franch. (1 species: Rhododendron albiflorum) (Discontinued, moved to section Sciadorhodion, subgenus Azaleastrum)
- Subgenus Mumeazalea (Sleumer) W.R. Philipson & M.N. Philipson (1 species: Rhododendron semibarbatum) (Discontinued, moved to section Tsutsusi, subgenus Azaleastrum)
- Subgenus Therorhodion A. Gray (2 species)
- (Subgenus Choniastrum Franch. (11 species))
The system used by the World Flora Online as of December 2023[update] uses six subgenera, four of which are divided further:[53]
- subgenus Azaleastrum Planch. ex K.Koch[54]
- section Azaleastrum Planch. ex Maxim.
- section Sciadorhodion Rehder & E.H.Wilson
- section Tsutsutsi (Sweet) Pojark.
- subgenus Choniastrum Franch.
- subgenus Hymenanthes (Blume) K.Koch[55]
- section Pentanthera G.Don
- section PonticumG.Don
- section Rhodora (L.) G.Don
- subgenus Rhododendron L.[56]
- subgenus Therorhodion (Maxim) Rehder
- subgenus Vireya Clarke[57]
- section Albovireya (Sleumer) Argent
- section Discovireya (Sleumer) Argent
- section Hadranthe Schltr.
- section Malayovireya (Sleumer) Argent
- section Pseudovireya (Clarke) Sleumer
- section Schistanthe Schltr.
- section Siphonovireya Argent
Species
Distribution and habitat

Species of the genus Rhododendron are widely distributed between latitudes 80°N and 20°S and are
The 300
In the United States, native Rhododendron mostly occur in lowland and montane forests in the Pacific Northwest, California, the Northeast, and the Appalachian Mountains.[58]
Ecology
Invasive species
Rhododendron ponticum has become invasive in Ireland[59] and the United Kingdom.[60] It is an introduced species, spreading in woodland areas and replacing the natural understory. R. ponticum is difficult to eradicate, as its roots can make new shoots.
Insects
A number of insects either target rhododendrons or will opportunistically attack them. Rhododendron borers and various weevils are major pests of rhododendrons, and many caterpillars will preferentially devour them.
Rhododendron species are used as food plants by the
Diseases
Major diseases include Phytophthora root rot, stem and twig fungal dieback.[61]
Rhododendron bud blast, a fungal condition that causes buds to turn brown and dry before they can open, is caused by the fungus Pycnostysanus azaleae, which may be brought to the plant by the rhododendron leafhopper, Graphocephala fennahi.[62]: 562
Conservation
In the UK the forerunner of the Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group (RCMG), The Rhododendron Society was founded in 1916.[63] while in Scotland species are being conserved by the Rhododendron Species Conservation Group.[64]
Cultivation

Both species and hybrid rhododendrons (including azaleas) are used extensively as
Rhododendrons can be propagated by air layering or stem cuttings.[62]: 540–541 They can self-propagate by sending up shoots from the roots. Sometimes an attached branch that has drooped to the ground will root in damp mulch, and the resulting rooted plant then can be cut off the parent rhododendron. They can also be reprodcued by seed dispersal - or by horticulturalists collecting the spent flower buds and saving ad drying the seed for later germination and planting.

Rhododendrons are often valued in landscaping for their structure, size, flowers, and the fact that many of them are evergreen.[65] Azaleas are frequently used around foundations and occasionally as hedges, and many larger-leafed rhododendrons lend themselves well to more informal plantings and woodland gardens, or as specimen plants. In some areas, larger rhododendrons can be pruned to encourage more tree-like form, with some species such as Rhododendron arboreum and R. falconeri eventually growing to a height of 10–15 m (32.81–49.21 ft) or more.[65]
Commercial growing
Rhododendrons are grown commercially in many areas for sale, and seeds were occasionally collected in the wild, a practice now rare in most areas due to the Nagoya Protocol. Larger commercial growers often ship long distances; in the United States, most of them are on the west coast (Oregon, Washington state and California). Large-scale commercial growing often selects for different characteristics than hobbyist growers might want, such as resistance to root rot when overwatered, ability to be forced into budding early, ease of rooting or other propagation, and saleability.[66]
Horticultural divisions
Horticulturally, rhododendrons may be divided into the following groups:[22][67]
- Evergreen rhododendrons - large group of evergreen shrubs that vary greatly in size. Most rhododendron flowers are bell-shaped and have 10 stamens.
- Vireya (Malesian) rhododendrons: epiphytic tender shrubs[68]
- Azaleas– group of shrubs which have smaller and thinner leaves than evergreen rhododendrons. They are generally medium-sized shrubs with smaller funnel-shaped flowers that usually have 5 stamens:
- Deciduous hybrid azaleas:[69]
- Exbury hybrids – derived from the Knap Hill hybrids, developed by Lionel de Rothschild at the Exbury Estate in England.[70][71]
- Ghent (Gandavense) hybrids – Belgian raised[72]
- Knap Hill hybrids – developed by Anthony Waterer at the Knap Hill Nursery in England.[70]
- Mollis hybrids – Dutch and Belgian raised[73]
- New Zealand Ilam hybrids – derived from Knap Hill/Exbury hybrids
- Occidentale hybrids – English raised
- Rustica Flore Pleno hybrids – sweet-scented, double-flowered[72]
- Evergreen hybrid azaleas:
- Gable hybrids – raised by Joseph B. Gable in Pennsylvania.[74]
- Glenn Dale hybrids – US raised complex hybrids
- Indian (Indica) hybrids – mostly of Belgian origin
- Kaempferi hybrids – Dutch raised
- Kurume hybrids – Japanese raised
- Kyushu hybrids – very hardy Japanese azaleas (to −30 °C)
- Oldhamii hybrids – dwarf hybrids raised at Exbury, England
- Satsuki hybrids – Japanese raised, originally for bonsai
- Shammarello hybrids – raised in northern Ohio[75]
- Vuyk (Vuykiana) hybrids – raised in the Netherlands[76]
- Deciduous hybrid azaleas:[69]
- Azaleodendrons – semi-evergreen hybrids between deciduous azaleas and rhododendrons
Planting and care

Like other
A new calcium-tolerant stock of rhododendrons (trademarked as 'Inkarho') has been exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London (2011). Individual hybrids of rhododendrons have been grafted on to a rootstock on a single rhododendron plant that was found growing in a chalk quarry. The rootstock is able to grow in calcium-rich soil up to a pH of 7.5.[78][79]
Hybrids
Rhododendrons are extensively hybridized in cultivation, and natural hybrids often occur in areas where species ranges overlap. There are over 28,000
Toxicity
Some species of rhododendron are poisonous to grazing animals because of a
Uses
Rhododendron species have long been used in traditional medicine.
In Nepal, the flower is considered edible and enjoyed for its sour taste. The pickled flower can last for months and the flower juice is also marketed.[92]: 51 The flower, fresh or dried, is added to fish curry in the belief that it will soften the bones.[92]: 53 The juice of rhododendron flower is used to make a squash called burans (named after the flower) in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. It is admired for its distinctive flavor and color.[93]
Labrador tea
The herbal tea called Labrador tea (not a true tea) is made from one of three closely related species:
- Ledum palustre)
- Ledum groenlandicum or Ledum latifolium)
- Ledum glandulosum)
In culture
In Uttarakhand, in north India, the Buransh flower is deeply embedded in local culture, playing a significant role in festivals like Holi and weddings, where it is used in garlands and decorations to bless attendees. The flower is also utilized in making a healthful, antioxidant-rich juice that is popular during local festivities and summer months. Additionally, Buransh flowers are incorporated into local arts and crafts, where they are used to make colorful necklaces and jewelry, symbolizing the spiritual and physical prosperity of the community.[94]
The rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal.

In the language of flowers, the rhododendron symbolizes danger and to beware.[95]
Rhododendron maximum, the most widespread rhododendron of the Appalachian Mountains, is the state flower of the US state of West Virginia, and is in the Flag of West Virginia.
Rhododendron macrophyllum, a widespread rhododendron of the Pacific Northwest, is the state flower of the US state of Washington.
Amongst the

In media
The nineteenth-century American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1834 wrote a poem titled "The Rhodora, On Being Asked, Whence Is the Flower".
Rhododendrons play a role and are soliloquized in
The effects of R. ponticum were mentioned in the 2009 film
See also
- List of Award of Garden Merit rhododendrons
- List of Rhododendron diseases
- List of Rhododendron species
- List of Sections in Subgenus Rhododendron
References
- doi:10.1139/e04-084. Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
- ^ a b Linnaeus, C. (1753). "Rhododendron". Species Plantarum. Vol. Tomus I. Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 392. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Goetsch, Eckert & Hall (2005).
- ^ "Rhododendron L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- S2CID 92383323.
- ^ Turner, R.J. Jr. & Wasson, Ernie, eds. (1997). Botanica: The Illustrated A-Z of Over 10,000 Garden Plants and How to Cultivate Them. p. 742.
- Online Etymology Dictionary.
- Perseus Project.
- ^ Weekley, Ernest (1921). "rhododendron". An etymological dictionary of modern English. London J. Murray. p. 1234.
- ^ "Big Tree Rhododendron". Global Trees Campaign.
- ^ Colombel, Marc. "Rhododendron protistum var. giganteum".
- .
- ^ "Introduction". www.dcr.virginia.gov.
- ^ Schafale, M. P. and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina: third approximation. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.
- ^ a b c d e Brown et al. (2006).
- ^ "Rhododendrons: Wakehurst's hidden treasure. Rhododendron facts". Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ "Sorting out the Genus Rhododendron: A Taxonomic Overview of this Large Complex of Species". University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- ^ Fayaz (2012), p. 3.
- ^ "Rhododendron Species Conservation Group". Rhododendron Species Conservation Group. The Rhododendron Species Conservation Group. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ Linnaeus, C. (1754). Genera Plantarum (5th ed.). Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 185. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ Linnaeus, C. (1753). "Azalea". Species Plantarum. Vol. Tomus I. Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii. p. 150. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- ^ a b c Andrews, Charles. "What is an Azalea?". American Rhododendron Society (Azalea Chapter).
- ^ a b c Spady, Herbert A. (Fall 1981). "GROPING FOR GROUPING: Rhododendron Taxonomy". The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. 35 (4).
- ^ Callard, Chris (1998–2015). "The History of Vireya Rhododendron Culture". vireya.net. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Salisbury, R.A. (1796). Prodromus Stirpium in horto ad Chapel Allerton (in Latin). London. p. 286.
- ^ Patricia E C Croot, ed. (2004). "Economic history: Farm-gardening and market gardening". A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 12, Chelsea. London: British History Online. pp. 150–155.
- ^ Don, G. (1834). General History of Dichlamydious Plants. Vol. iii. London: J.G. and F. Rivington. p. 843.
- ^ Candolle (1838).
- ^ Maximowicz, C.J. (1870). Rhododendreae Asiae Orientalis [Rhododendreae East Asia] (in Latin). St. Pétersbourg.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b JIN et al. (2010).
- ^ Bentham, G. & Hooker, J.D. (1876). Genera plantarum ad exemplaria imprimis in herbariis kewensibus servata definita. Vol. 2 Part II (in Latin). Vol. 2. London: Reeve & Co. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Stevenson, J.B., ed. (1930). The Species of Rhododendron. Edinburgh: The Rhododendron Society.
- ^ Davidian.
- ^ Sleumer, H (1949). "Ein System der Gattung Rhododendron L.". Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 74: 511–553.
- .
- ^ ISBN 978-0-89327-221-0.
- ISSN 0080-4274.
- ISSN 0080-4274.
- S2CID 35751500.
- .
- ^ Chamberlain & Rae (1990).
- JSTOR 2419016.
- .
- ^ ISBN 978-1-872291-66-6. Archived from the originalon 4 March 2016.
- ^ Cullen (2005).
- ^ a b GAO Lian-Ming; LI De-Zhu; ZHANG Chang-Qin; YANG Jun-Bo (2002). "Infrageneric and Sectional Relationships in the Genus Rhododendron (Ericaceae) Inferred from ITS Sequence Data" (PDF). Am Botanica Sinica. 44 (11): 1351–1356.
- ^ a b Goetsch, Loretta A.; Eckert, Andrew J.; Hall, Benjamin D. (2005). "Excerpts from and comments on a paper published by: Loretta Goetsch, Andrew Eckert and Benjamin Hall, University of Washington". Fraser South Rhododendron Society. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. 2005 Annual ARS Convention
- ^ a b c Craven et al. (2008).
- ^ Craven (2011).
- ^ a b Genus Rhododendron Taxonomic Tree.
- ^ a b Irving, E.; R. Hebda (1993). "Concerning the Origin and Distribution of Rhododendrons". Journal of the American Rhododendron Society. American Rhododendron Society. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ a b Argent (2006).
- ^ WFO (December 2023). "Rhododendron L." World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ WFO (December 2023). "Rhododendron subg. Azaleastrum Planch. ex K.Koch". World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ WFO (December 2023). "Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes (Blume) K.Koch". World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ WFO (December 2023). "Rhododendron subg. Rhododendron L." World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ WFO (December 2023). "Rhododendron subg. Vireya L." World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ Irving, E., & Hebda, R. (1993). Concerning the Origin and Distribution of Rhododendrons. Journal American Rhododendron Society, 47(3).
- ^ Bramhill, Nick (18 July 2014). "Dramatic rescue of couple trapped in rhododendron forest". Irish Central.
- ^ Simons, Paul (16 April 2017). "A spectacular thug is out of control". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Hoitink, Harry A. J.; Nameth, Stephen; Chatfield, Jim. "Maintaining Healthy Rhododendrons and Azaleas in the Landscape". ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-1564582911.
- ^ "Centenary – Background". Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ John M. Hammond. "Conservation of Rhododendron Species and their historic Gardens". RSCG. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0333474945.
- ISBN 978-0-7134-5630-1.
- ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ Callard, Chris (1998–2015). "Vireya Rhododendrons – Welcome". vireya.net. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ "Deciduous Azaleas". Rhodyman.net. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ a b Hyatt, Donald W. "My Fascination with Knap Hill Azaleas". Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ Hyatt, Donald W. "Exbury Gardens". Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ a b Skinner, Archie (Summer 1984). "Rescuing the Ghent and Rustica Flore Pleno Azaleas". Journal American Rhododendron Society. 38 (3). Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ Living, L.C. (January 1960). "Mollis Azaleas". The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. 14 (1). Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ Hyatt, Donald W. "The Rhododendron Legacy of Joe Gable". Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ Baldsiefen, Warren (October 1955). "Shammarello's Wonderland". The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. 9 (4). Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ Nosal, Mathew A. (Winter 1979). "The Vuykiana Azaleas". The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. 33 (1). Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ "Soil information for planting rhododendrons". American Rhododendron Society. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ "Lime Tolerant Rhododendrons". Millais Nurseries. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ^ Guinness, Bunny (17 November 2009). "The new lime-tolerant rhododendrons". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ Francis, Richard (25 January 2006). "Fragrant Rhododendrons". Wildeel.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Davidian, Vol. II, plate 44 & 45.
- ^ Brand, Mark H. "Rhododendron 'PJM' Hybrids". UConn Plant Database. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013.
- ^ Xenophon, Anabasis 4.8.19–21.
- ^ Strabo, Geography 12.3.18.
- ^ "Grayanotoxins" (PDF). Bad Bug Book: Handbook of foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins (2nd ed.). Food and Drug Administration. 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- S2CID 9658996.
- ^ "10 plants that are poisonous to cats".
- PMID 23454683.
- PMID 28356115.
- ^ Agarwal, S.S.; Sharma Kalpana (1988). "Anti-inflammatory activity of flowers of Rhododendron arboreum (SMITH) in rat's hind paw oedema induced by various phlogistic agents". Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 20 (2): 86–89.
- .
- ^ a b Regmi, Puskal Prasad (1982). An introduction to Nepalese food plants. Royal Nepal Academy.
- ISBN 9788173870989.
- ^ "Uttarakhand ka rajya pushp: Buraansh". Raebaar.com. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Language of Flowers – Flower Meanings and Flower Sentiments". www.languageofflowers.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-14-303541-1.
- ^ Jasper Fforde. "Shades of Grey – An Interview with Jasper Fforde about Shades of Grey". Jasperfforde.com. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ Captain Skellett (27 December 2009). "Rhododendron poison – truth behind the science of Sherlock Holmes". A Schooner of Science. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
Bibliography
Books and book chapters
- Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1838). "Rhododendron". Prodromus systemati naturalis regni vegetabilis sive enumeratio contracta ordinum, generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarum, juxta methodi naturalis normas digesta (in Latin). Vol. 7. Paris: Treuttel et Würtz. pp. 719–728. (also available online at Gallica)
- Sweet, Robert (1838). The British Flower Garden. The Two Series. Vol. I. Drawings by E.D. Smith. London: James Ridgway & Sons.
- Hooker, Joseph Dalton (1849). Hooker, William Jackson (ed.). The Rhododendrons of Sikkim-Himalaya: being an account, botanical and geographical, of the rhododendrons recently discovered in the mountains of eastern Himalaya, from drawings and descriptions made on the spot, during a government botanical mission to that country (2nd ed.). London: Reeve, Benham, and Reeve. .
- Luteyn, James Leonard & O'Brien, Mary E., eds. (1980). Contributions Toward a Classification of Rhododendron: Proceedings of the International Rhododendron Conference. International Rhododendron Conference (The New York Botanical Garden, May 15–17, 1978). New York: New York Botanical Garden Press. ISBN 978-0-89327-221-0.
- Davidian, H.H. (1982–1995). The Rhododendron Species. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. In four volumes: Vol. I. Lepidotes ISBN 0-88192-311-7.
- Cox, Peter A. & Cox, Kenneth N. E. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Rhododendron Species. Glendoick Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9530533-0-8..
- Cullen, James (2005). Hardy Rhododendron Species: A Guide To Identification. Timber Press. ISBN 978-0881927238.
- Blazich, Frank A. & Rowe, D. Bradley (July 2008). "Rhododendron L., rhododendron and azalea" (PDF). In Bonner, Franklin T. & Karrfalt, Robert P. (eds.). The Woody Plant Seed Manual (PDF). Agr. Hdbk. Vol. 727. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. Agr. For. Serv. pp. 943–951. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
Articles
- Black, Michael (October 1969). "Historical Survey of Rhododendron Collecting With Emphasis on its Close Associations with Horticulture". The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. 23 (4).
- Magor, Walter (Fall 1990). "A History of Rhododendrons". Journal American Rhododendron Society. 44 (4).
- Goetsch, Loretta A.; Eckert, Andrew J.; Hall, Benjamin D. (July–September 2005). "The molecular systematics of Rhododendron (Ericaceae): a phylogeny based upon RPB2 gene sequences". S2CID 51949019.
Subdivisions

Azaleas
- Wilson, E.H.; Rehder, A. (1921). A Monograph of Azaleas; Rhododendron Subgenus Anthodendron. Publications of the Arnold Aboretum, no. 9. Cambridge: University Press.
- Creech, John L. (1955). "An Embryological Study in the Rhododendron Subgenus Anthodendron Endl". Botanical Gazette. 116 (3): 234–243. S2CID 83861676.
Tsutsusi
- Chamberlain, D.F. & Rae, S.J. (1990). "A revision of Rhododendron. IV. Subgenus Tsutsusi". Edinburgh Journal of Botany. 47 (2): 89–200. .
- Powell, E. Ann; Kron, Kathleen A (2004). "Molecular systematics of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi (Rhodoreae, Ericoideae, Ericaceae)". Botany 2004. Abstract ID:147.
- Kron, K.A. & Powell, E.A. (March 2009). "Molecular systematics of Rhododendron subgenus Tsutsusi (Rhodoreae, Ericoideae, Ericaceae)". Edinburgh Journal of Botany. 66 (1): 81–95. .
- ZHANG Yue-Jiao; JIN Xiao-Feng; DING Bing-Yang; ZHU Jing-Ping (March 2009). "Pollen morphology of Rhododendron subgen. Tsutsusi and its systematic implications". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 47 (2): 123–138. S2CID 86594487.
- JIN Xiao-Feng; DING Bing-Yang; ZHANG Yue-Jiao; HONG De-Yuan (2010). "A Taxonomic Revision Of Rhododendron subg. Tsutsusi sect. Brachycalyx (Ericaceae)". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 97 (2): 163–190. S2CID 86507576.
Vireya
- Sleumer, Hermann Otto (1966). An account of rhododendron in Malesia. Groningen: P. Noordhoff.. A reprint from Flora Malesiana ser. I, vol. 6, part 4. Pages 473 through 674.
- Leach, David G. (Winter 1978). "The Discovery of the Malaysian Rhododendrons". The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. 32 (1).
- Argent, G. (2006). Rhododendrons of subgenus Vireya. Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 978-1-902896-61-8.
- Brown, Gillian K.; Craven, Lyn A.; Udovicic, Frank; Ladiges, Pauline Y. (August 2006). "Phylogenetic relationships of Rhododendron section Vireya (Ericaceae) inferred from the ITS nrDNA region" (PDF). Australian Systematic Botany. 19 (4): 329–342. doi:10.1071/SB05019. Archived from the originalon 15 July 2014.
- Hall, B.D.; Craven, L.A. & Goetsch, L.A. (2006). "The Taxonomy of Subsection Pseudovireya: Two distinctly different taxa within subsection Pseudovireya and their Relation to the Rooting of section Vireya within subgenus Rhododendron". Rhododendron Species. 1: 91–97. Yearbook of the Rhododendron Species Foundation, Federal Way, WA.
- Craven, L.A.; Goetsch, L.A.; Hall, B.D.; Brown, G.K. (2008). "Classification of the Vireya group of Rhododendron (Ericaceae)". Blumea - Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants. 53 (2): 435–442. .
- Goetsch, L.A.; Craven, L.A.; Hall, B.D. (2011). "Major speciation accompanied the dispersal of Vireya Rhododendrons (Ericaceae, Rhododendron sect. Schistanthe) through the Malayan archipelago: Evidence from nuclear gene sequences". Taxon. 60 (4): 1015–1028. .
- Adams, Peter (Fall 2012). "Evolution, Adaptive Radiation and Vireya Rhododendrons - Part I" (PDF). Journal American Rhododendron Society: 201–203. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- Adams, Peter (Spring 2013). "Evolution, Adaptive Radiation and Vireya Rhododendrons – Part II" (PDF). Journal American Rhododendron Society: 74–76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- Fayaz, A. (2012). Biodiversity of the Vireya group of Rhododendron L. (Ericaceae) collections in New Zealand and their potential contribution to international conservation (PhD). Turitea, New Zealand: Massey University. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
Separate genera
- Craven, L.A. (April 2011). "Diplarche and Menziesia transferred to Rhododendron (Ericaceae)". Blumea - Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants. 56 (1): 33–35. .
Additional resources
Records of the Rhododendron Society of America reside at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia.
External links
- History of Rhododendron Discovery & Culture
- Rhododendrons from Turkey, Anatolia
- Danish Genebank Rhododendron
- Danish Genebank. Rhododendron in different countries
- German Genebank Rhododendron Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- Description of damage caused by Rhododendrons in the UK
- Information on rhododendrons at the Ericaceae web pages of Dr. Kron at Wake Forest University.
- Information on Vireyas
- Information+photos of hybrids and species
- Information on Rhododendrons by Marc Colombel, founder of the Société Bretonne du Rhododendron.
- Extensive information on rhododendron species: the history of their discovery, botanical details, toxicity, classification, cultural conditions, care for common problems, and suggestions for companion plants by Steve Henning.
- History of Rhododendrons
- Rhododendron in botanical garden Pruhonice-Czech republic Archived 7 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
Databases
- USDA Plants Database: Rhododendron
- ITIS Report: Rhododendron
- eFloras.org
Societies
- American Rhododendron Society
- The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society 1947–1981
- Journal of the American Rhododendron Society (JARS) 1982–
- "Genus Rhododendron Taxonomic Tree". American Rhododendron Society. Information Source: Cox, Peter A. & Cox, Kenneth N. E. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Rhododendron Species. Glendoick Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9530533-0-8..
- The Rhododendron, Camellia & Magnolia Group of the Royal Horticultural Society
- Rhododendron Species Foundation and Botanical Garden
- Société Finlandaise du Rhododendron
- Australian Rhododendron Society
- German Rhododendron Society
- New Zealand Rhododendron Association
- Danish Rhododendron Society
- Fraser South Rhododendron Society