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Rhododendron nakaharai is endemic to northern Taiwan where it grows in the hills of the Tatun range
at altitudes of about 1000m. It has bright scarlet-orange flowers and makes a low growing dense shrub
like a small evergreen azalea, but flowering in July or later. 'Mariko' was raised by Dr. Tsuneshige Rokujo in Tokyo and named after his daughter. I bought it from Aberconwy Nursery and potted it up in the Hedychium house but it didn't establish and died shortly after. The Aberconwy label says: "Very dense & dwarf form of this late flowering azalea species. Large brick red flowers, often the latest to flower in June. 15cm high x 30-40cm spread. Acid humus rich soil, open position." The international Rhododendron Register of its origin. They say it was raised and named by Hydon Nurseries and registered in 1970. The description says: "Fls 1-3/truss, funnel-campanulate, up to 40 x 25mm, 5-lobed, deep yellowish pink (43C), flushed strong purplish red (54A) on dorsal throat. Calyx up to 7mm long. Lvs elliptic, up tp 24 x 10mm, dark green, densely appressed hairy. Shrub to 0.3m. July. AM 1970." Writing in Rhododendrons International, John Good says: "This is one of several selections of this creeping, evergreen species, which is only found on one Taiwanese mountain at elevations between 2000-2500 m (6560 8200 ft). It is particularly valuable in the garden for its dwarf, tidy habit, and because it does not produce its bright orange-red flowers until June-July, long after most other dwarf rhododendrons are finished. It is more tolerant of dry soils than many and grows well in fairly deep shade beneath trees." Further information from Trees and Shrubs online about R. nakaharae (under R. indicum) says: "This description is made from the clone named ‘Mariko’, which is of uncertain provenance." Finally from the Journal of the American Rhododendron Society I found a note by Polly Hill: "R. nakaharai cv. 'Mariko' I received a small rooted cutting from Dr. August Kehr in December 1973, which he had received from Mr. Peter Cox of Scotland, who received it from Dr. Rokujo, I am told. It has been in my fenced in area known as the Play-Pen since 1976. This rock garden treasure, named for Dr. Rokujo's daughter, is a very tightly grown little mound, not slow to bloom, but slow to develop and spread. Its form and flower very closely match my 61-80-C." |
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| 11th June 2012 | ||