RHODODENDRONS
GUEST AUTHOR: YIGIT BERKAY GUNDOGMUS
Rhododendrons are shrubs ranging from small plants to large trees. Most rhododendron species are native to the Himalayan region like the Rhododendron cephalanthum var. Crebreflorum and Rhododendron anthopogon Ssp. hypenanthum plants that we have on The Rangoonwala Terrace at the Manchester Museum. The genus name Rhododendron means Rose Tree, from Ancient Greek ‘rhódon’ meaning rose, and ‘déndron’ meaning tree.
Garden hybrid rhododendron on the Rangoonwala Terrace.
Rhododendron cephalanthum is native of West Szechwan, Northwest Yunnan, and bordering parts of Tibet and upper Burma at 9,000 to 15,000 ft high regions. It was discovered by Jean-Marie Delavay, a missionary priest from Paris. The very dwarf variety Crebreflorum was likely collected by Frank Kingdon-Ward of Manchester from Delei Valley, Assam Himalaya, in 1928, and shipped back to the UK to be grown as a horticultural plant.
Rhododendron cephalanthum is native to regions shown in green on the map, more detailed information about the map and the species can be found on Plants of the World Online database by Kew Royal Botanical Gardens.
This evergreen dwarf rhododendron has densely clustered, white to pink, narrow, daphne-like flowers on its brown to dark green body. These beautiful blooms make rhododendrons a popular choice for gardeners and plant enthusiasts all around the world. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, rhododendrons also provide important habitat and food sources for various wildlife species. Rhododendron cephalanthum var. Crebreflorum is also a receiver of RHS’s Award of Garden Merit.
Rhododendron anthopogon Ssp. hypenanthum is native to Northeast Pakistan to Himalaya and South Tibet. This specific clone you see here on the terrace was collected from Nepal in 1954.
Rhododendron cephalanthum is native to regions shown in green on the map, more detailed information about the map and the species can be found on Plants of the World Online database by Kew Royal Botanical Gardens.
Having small, pale, yellow, daphne-like flowers and brown scales and narrow, aromatic leaves, it can grow up to 40 cm. Likewise, Rhododendron anthopogon Ssp. hypenanthum ‘Annapurna’ is also a receiver of RHS’s Award of Garden Merit.
In our herbarium, we have a number of rhododendron specimens here at the Manchester Museum, some of which were collected from the Himalaya region more than a century ago.
Two examples of Rhododenron specimens in the Manchester Museum Herbarim collection.
References and further reading:
Nature Manchester 