Rhododendron 'Admiral Semmes' (-20F)
Rhododendron 'Pennsylvania' (-20F)
Rhododendron 'Weston's Lemon Drop' (-35F)
Rhododendron 'austrinum Millie Mac' (-15F)
Rhododendron 'Weston's Innocence' (-25F)
Rhododendron 'Weston's Parade' (-25F)
Guide to Available PlantsRhododendrons:
Companion Plants
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Deciduous azaleas, as their name implies, loose their leaves in winter, but most are more colorful and hardier than their evergreen cousins. They are available in striking yellows, oranges, reds, and blues, as well as more subtle pinks and whites. Some have individual flowers, but others have flower buds that cluster at the ends of branches and form a ball of flowers. They tend to bloom later than evergreen azaleas and grow taller than they are wide. Since they are deciduous they are used more for their striking color than for their green foliage. Also, they bloom later in the spring than many evergreen azaleas. The following plants illustrate the type of plants that are available. Other plants will be available. Download our guide: Growing Rhododendrons & Azaleas (pdf format)
Rhododendron 'Admiral Semmes' (-20F) Rhododendron 'Pennsylvania' (-20F) Rhododendron 'Weston's Lemon Drop' (-35F) |
Rhododendron 'austrinum Millie Mac' (-15F) Rhododendron 'Weston's Innocence' (-25F) Rhododendron 'Weston's Parade' (-25F) |
Evergreen azaleas generally have more pastel colored flowers and actually have two flushes of leaf growth. One flush comes out in the spring and the other comes out later in summer. They normally bloom early in the spring. They tend to be more tender than deciduous azaleas, and don't reach their full hardiness until they are 3 or 4 years old. The following plants illustrate the type of plants that are available. Other plants will be available. Download our guide: Growing Rhododendrons & Azaleas (pdf format)
 Rhododendron 'Elsie Lee' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'Hardy Gardenia' (-5F)  Rhododendron 'Irish Cream' (-5F)  Rhododendron 'Linda Stuart' (-10F)  Rhododendron 'Secret Wish' (-5F) |
 Rhododendron 'Girard Pleasant White' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'Hilda Niblet' (-5F)  Rhododendron 'Lady Robin' (-10F)  Rhododendron 'Opal' (-5F)  Rhododendron 'Tradition' (-10F) |
The elepidote rhododendrons are the most common evergreen rhododendrons in the landscape. They are popular landscape plants for their handsome leaves and shape, but have the bonus of striking spring flowers. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes, and have different cultural traits such as cold tolerance, heat tolerance, soil tolerance, drought tolerance, moisture tolerance, etc. The ones selected have been selected as being outstanding for their color. They vary however in cold hardiness. Many urban gardens can take a more tender plant than a rural garden with more exposure. So hardiness should be an important consideration. The following plants are shown to illustrate the great variety of plants that are available. Many more plants will be available. Download our guide: Growing Rhododendrons & Azaleas (pdf format)
 Rhododendron 'Absolute Citron' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'Brown Eyes' (-20F)  Rhododendron 'Capistrano' (-20F)  Rhod. Heritage Best Orange Salmon' (-10F)  Rhododendron 'Mardi Gras' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'My Jane' (-10F)  Rhododendron 'Rocket' (-20F)  Rhododendron 'Solidarity' (-15F) |
 Rhododendron 'Barmstedt' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'Calsap' (-25F)  Rhododendron 'Fantastica' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'Ingrid Mehlquist' (-25F)  Rhododendron 'Maximum Roseum' (-15F)  Rhododendron 'Purple Passion' (-20F)  Rhododendron 'Roseum Elegans' (-25F)  Rhododendron 'Vulcan's Flame' (-10F) |
The lepidote rhododendrons have smaller evergreen leaves than most common rhododendrons found in the landscape. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes, and have different cultural traits such as cold tolerance, heat tolerance, soil tolerance, drought tolerance, moisture tolerance, etc. The ones selected have been selected as being outstanding for their color. They vary however in cold hardiness, so hardiness should be an important consideration. Many lepidotes have the added advantage of having a unique fall foliage color from bronze to red. The following plants illustrate the type of plants that are available. Other plants will be available. Download our guide: Growing Rhododendrons & Azaleas (pdf format)
 Rhododendron 'Blue Baron ' (-10F) |
 Rhododendron 'Olga Mezitt' (-25F) |
Vireya rhododendrons are a special case of lepidote rhododendrons which are native to tropical areas such as Borneo. They are raised by some people as greenhouse plants while other people raise them as house plants. In any case, they like cool nights but will not tolerate freezing temperatures. If you have a greenhouse or a plant room then you are ready for Vireyas.
The following conditions are essential for growing and blooming Vireya Rhododendrons.
Outside summer environments will differ but the above suggestions still apply as goals.
For more detailed growing instructions, download our guide, Growing Vireya Rhododendrons (in printable PDF format) or visit The Bovees website
 Rhododendron 'Charming Valentino |
 Rhododendron 'Elizabeth Ann Seton |
It is fairly unusual to see Camellias in the Valley Forge area. There are a number of Camellias that are borderline cold hardy in our area. The Valley Forge Chapter is offering Camellias for those people that feel they have a protected area or have a mild micro-climate and want to try them. The fall blooming plants are more reliable. The spring blooming plants often get tricked into blooming early and then the flowers get frozen back by a late frost. Hardy Camellias are for the more adventuresome gardeners in our area. For advice in growing Camellias & Tea plants, visit the Camellia Forest Nursery website.
 Camellia 'Autumn Spirit' (-5F)  Camellia 'Snow Flurry' (-5F)  Camellia 'Winter Rose' (-5F) |
 Camellia 'Carolina Moonmist' (-5F)  Camellia 'Survivor' (-5F)  Camellia 'Winter's Joy' (-5F) |
 Camellia 'April Blush' (0F)  Camellia 'April Rose' (-5F)  Camellia 'Red Jade' (0F) |
 Camellia 'April Dawn' (0F)  Camellia 'April Tryst' (0F)  Camellia 'Spring's Promise' (0F) |
 Camellia sinensis from Korea (0F) |
 Camellia sinensis, Small Leaf Tea (0F) |
Latin Name |
Common Name |
Description |
| Abies | Fir | Evergreen conifer tree |
| Acer | Maple | Deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Aesculus | Buckeye | Deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Buxus | Boxwood | Evergreen broadleaved shrub with small leaves |
| Calycanthus floridus | Sweetshrub | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Cedrus deodara | Himalayan Cedar | Evergreen conifer shrub |
| Cephalotaxus harringtonia | Cowtail Pine | Evergreen conifer shrub |
| Cercis canadensis | Eastern Redbud | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Chamaecyparis obtusa | Hinoki cypress | Evergreen conifer shrub |
| Chamaedaphne calyculata | Leather Leaf | Evergreen broadleaved shrub |
| Chionanthus virginicus | White Fringetree | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Clethra | Pepper Bush | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Cornus kousa | Japanese Dogwood | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Elliottia racemosa | Georgia Plum | Flowering evergreen broadleaved tree |
| Enkianthus | Enkianthus | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Fagus sylvatica | European Beech | Deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Fothergilla | Witchalder | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Franklinia | Franklin Tree | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Gardenia | Gardenia | Evergreen broadleaved shrub |
| Halesia diptera | Two-winged Silverbell | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Hamamelis | Witch-hazel | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Hydrangea | Hydrangea | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Ilex verticillata | American Winterberry | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Itea virginica | Virginia Sweetspire | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Jasminum nudiflorum | Winter Jasmine | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Kalmia latifolia | Mountain Laurel | Flowering evergreen broadleaved shrub |
| Magnolia | Magnolia | Flowering evergreen broadleaved tree |
| Mahonia confusa | Mahonia confusa | Flowering evergreen broadleaved shrub |
| Myrica pensylvanica | Northern Bayberry | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Oxydendrum arboreum | Sourwood | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Picea | Spruce | Evergreen conifer shrub or tree |
| Pieris | Andromeda | Flowering evergreen broadleaved shrub |
| Pinus | Pine | Evergreen conifer shrub or tree |
| Sabal minor | Dwarf Palmetto | Flowering deciduous palm shrub |
| Scadopitys verticillata | Japanese Umbrella Pine | Evergreen conifer tree |
| Sorbus americana | American Mountain Ash | Flowering deciduous broadleaved tree |
| Styrax americanus | American Snowbell | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Syringa | Lilac | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
| Taxus baccata | European Yew | Evergreen conifer shrub |
| Viburnum | Viburnum | Flowering evergreen broadleaves shrub |
| Zenobia pulverulenta | Honeycup | Flowering deciduous broadleaved shrub |
We plan to attend the Plant Sale and Wine Party ______persons $25.00/person Total: $________ Name:________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________ Send check, payable to Valley Forge Chapter, American Rhododendron Society,
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Click here for a copy of the above coupon in pdf printable format
Photos are courtesy of Rarefind Nursery, Bovees Nursery, and Camellia Forest Nursery