Monday, June 3, 2013

Deciduous Rhododendrons In Bloom

     My evergreen rhododendrons have faded and the deciduous are in bloom now.
I have two varieties of deciduous rhododendrons: 'Mandarin Lights' and 'Northern Lights'. Both of these plants I bought at the garden center in St. Petersburg, where plants grown in the Finnish nursery were sold.
Originally the hardiest deciduous rhododendron hybrids were bred in the United States, in the Arboretum of the University of Minnesota. Since the 1970s, the rhododendron breeding program was developed there.



The first series of hybrids have been named 'Northern Lights'. The scientists used the rhododendrons 'Atlantic' and 'Ghent azaleas' for hybrid breeding. Thus the hardy deciduous rhododendron (azalea) hybrids 'Mandarin Lights' and' Northern Lights' appeared. They both steadily tolerate frosts up to -34C.


In my garden, these bushes are growing recently. The variety 'Mandarin Lights' "decided” to stick out its sprig from the snowdrift last winter. So this spring its buds and blooms are weak on that branch. Flowers of variety 'Mandarin Lights' look like bright Chinese lanterns, and open one by one from the dense, large reddish buds.

The variety "Northern Lights" has an amazing color of its flowers: they are two-colored, the upper petal is yellow, the other petals are pale lemon. The flowers have pleasant scent!



I prune deciduous rhododendrons, sometimes their branches intersect, tinder, or break after the winter. But I'm not doing this with evergreen. My bushes quickly grow back after flowering, growth bud yield 5..8 increments.
Deciduous rhododendrons do not require special feeding, I try the soil would be moist, and sprinkle against the chewing insects.



        I know that the natural deciduous rhododendrons widely grow in many parts of the world, have you seen them near your place or in the woods there? 
Thank you!

To read about  my trip to the Arboretum Mustila here

40 comments:

  1. Nice azalear you show. In our forests grow there wild azalear. Wishing you a good Monday / good new week :) Hugs Hanne Bente

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    1. I'm sure you often go for a walk to see flowering azaleas!
      Thank you, Hanne Bente!

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  2. Your Northern Lights Azalea is really lovely. We don't have Rhododendrons in the wild in our country but in our neighbourhood we have very acid soil so there a some fine nurseries of deciduous and evergreen Rhodos.

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    1. You are lucky, Janneke, can see blooming azaleas i some nurseries. I guess it's wonderful sight.
      Thank you!

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  3. Buenos días Nadezda. Así da gusto empezar el día con este gran regalo.Me gustan especialmente la primera y última foto...quéue maravilla.
    Gracias por compartir tus rododendros:))
    Un beso.

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    1. Que bueno que te hice placer al empiezo del dia!
      Gracias, Laura.M!

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  4. I grow Northern Lights myself and have found that "White Lights" does the best for me. I have some that are about seven feet tall at this point. I moved them all last fall into a full sun area as they were definitely in too much shade... we'll see if this was a good idea or not over the course of the next two seasons or so. I have always been disappointed that the flowers fade fairly soon... this is probably due to the fact that it almost always gets very hot here just about the time they are in full bloom. Your photos are beautiful. I don't have Mandarin Lights... it is lovely. Our climate has moderated considerably since I first tried these azaleas and I should experiment with more ... they might do much better than 20+ years ago.... take care and I enjoyed your post! Larry

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    1. Larry,I do not know variety "White Lights", is it hardy?
      My rhodies grow in partly shade, the sun is after 2pm. I think the evergreen bloomed quickly this spring, because of enough warm weather: + 20...25 C. The deciduous are in bloom now and hot weather continues, so they will fade soon. I prefer Mandarin Lights, is very joyful.
      Thank you!

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  5. It's nice to see the yellows and oranges of these deciduous rhododendrons, rather than all the pinks and whites that I see around here on the evergreen ones right now. I love that lemon yellow!

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    1. The Northern Lights rhodie is interesting of its colorful flowers, lemon yellow as you say.
      Thank you, laurrie!

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  6. These are beautiful, Nadezda! I bought a 'Mandarin Lights' a few years ago at an end of the season sale, but unfortunately it died during the drought we had that summer. Seeing your lovely blooms, I think I should try one again.

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    1. Sure, you have to try once again, Rose. 'Mandarin Lights' deserves to be in your garden, it's very ornamental bush.
      Thank you!

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  7. There is a variety of wild deciduous rhododendron that grows here but I've not been in the woods at the right time to see it. I have Northern Lights in my garden and enjoy the fragrance. Thanks to your advice, I will prune mine this year as it's getting a little crazy looking.

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    1. I'm glad you have Northern Lights as well. Nice plant!
      Thank you, peter!

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  8. Hello Dear Nadezda!
    Beautifully presented in azaleas and rhododendrons.
    Your photos are always very beautiful.
    I love your wonderful flowers.
    For me, these flowers have slowly wither.
    Thank you that you always remember me and visit.
    I send greetings.
    Lucia

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    1. Lucia, I love to read your blog with interesting stories and photos. We have very hot weather now and the rhododendrons are slowly fading.
      Thank you!

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  9. Soooo beautiful and such wonderful colours. I have three azaleas and it is always such a treat to see them in bloom. Thank you so much for the link you gave me from your last post Nadezda :)

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  10. Just so beautiful! I adore rhododendron blooms. You have some wonderful colors of them blooming.
    My blog address has changed to:http://lonadawn7.blogspot.com/

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    1. Lona, how nice you're with us again!
      I was upset having no possibility to read your blog.
      Thank you!

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  11. Your azaleas are so beautiful! I have a 'Golden Lights', but it is still young and has not bloomed yet. I really like the color of 'Mandarin Lights' - it looks like a glowing light!

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    1. Rebecca, I'd like to buy 'Golden Lights', as well! My 'Mandarin Lights' is 5 years old, winters well and I'm pleased. Thank you!

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  12. Dear Nadezda,what can i say!!!Your azaleas and rhododendrons are so beautiful!!And very lovely colours too!!I realy like seeing your wonderful photos!!Thank you for sharing!!Have a lovely week and a happy new month!
    Dimi..

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  13. I really love them in bud stage with the pointy leaves. So pretty. It looks like you're having nice weather. I love your banner photo too. Can you believe it's June already? Have a great week.

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    1. Yes, the weather is unexpected hot, +26-28 C! It's been so hot since the last week of May till now. All plants those bloom in second half of June, start flowering now.
      I believe we are in June, because there are "White night", when isn't dark time of the day, and night is very light.
      Thank you, Grace!

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  14. So lovely pictures Nadezda! I love your Northern Lights, amazing colours, would have loved to have it in my garden :-)
    I never prune my rhododendrons/azaleas either, they are all evergreen so I only remove any dead stems and that's it. I have given them slow release fertilizer for ericaceous plants this year, for the first time, because we have had so much rain the last 12 months so the soil is very washed out, I have never used fertiliser before but all my plants needed a boost this spring after the complete wash-out we had last year!

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    1. Helene, I think you did right. All plants need fertilizer in bad wet weather. I feed all plants too when temps go down. The deciduous rhododendrons need a bit pruning, they have thin branches,sometimes broken.
      Thank you!

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  15. Wow! I love your Rhododendrons, Nadezda. You have so many of them and in all colors. Stunning! Happy gardening!

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    1. Thank you! How are you in that hot wave we have in our area?
      My plants start blooming, the veges hurry growing.

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  16. Beautiful Rhododendrons, Nadezda. The blooms on 'Mandarin Lights' are especially gorgeous.

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  17. I love orange and yellow flowers. Especially Northern Lights is lovely! I've never seen orange azaleas,they are beautiful! Thank you for sharing. Have a good weekend:)

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    1. Have a good time in San Francisco, thank you, Keity!

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  18. Mauve ones grow wild on acidic soils in England, and do make a wonderful display. They are regarded however as invasive and so landowners often cut them right back. It does not seem to do them any harm but stops them smothering other plants.

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    1. I think the mauve azaleas are native in those places. And go well to that climate.
      The hybrid rhododendrons are for different zone, as mine and here we have no native mauve ones, it's too cold winter.
      Thank you, Jenny!

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  19. Very pretty azaleas Nadezda! I grow them on Finland zone 2, I have 'Orchid Lights', 'Northern Hi-Lights', 'Mandarin Lights' and 'White Lights'. New Finnish varieties are even hardier (at least here), see pictures: http://blogs.helsinki.fi/avainola/
    Arboretum Mustila (in Finland) is not so far from Saint Petersburg and they have extensive collections of evergreen Rhododendrons and many azaleas as well:
    http://www.mustila.fi/en all the varieties that have Finnish zone 2 (II) or 3 (III) should be hardy in your area.

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    1. I'm glad you liked my azaleas, Olli! Hope yours are well this winter with often rain and ice. I've been to Mustila last May and it was a pleasure to see all rhododendrons growing there, great job! I have the post about my trip:
      http://northern-garden.blogspot.ru/2013/06/my-trip-to-arboretum-mustila.html
      Thank you!

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