History of Rhododendron Hybridization

• History of the Genus Rhododendron
  • Discovery and Early Culture
  • First Hybrids and Hybridizers
• Classification
     Old Taxonomic Tree
     New Taxonomic Tree
• Native American Species
• Fragrant Species
• How To Grow Rhododendrons

• Directory of Pages on This Website
• Index of Rhododendron & Azalea Topics

The Hybrids From 1817 to 1867

Herbert: Hon. and Rev. William Herbert, 1778-1847 was a British botanist, poet, and clergyman. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1806. He was an undergraduate at Exeter College, Oxford. He was Rector of Spofforth in Yorkshire. He became Dean of Manchester in 1840. He was the third son of Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Carnarvon, and the father of Henry William Herbert. It was the Rev. William Herbert, cleric and amaryllid expert, after whom the International Bulb Society's official journal Herbertia takes its name, who established the genus Nerine in 1820. Herbert was also one of the first to work in the field of hybridizing especially of vegetables. Herbert was a friend of Darwin and received some of the first seeds brought back by Darwin on his adventures. He is frequently referred to as Dean Herbert. Return to Top

Myrtifolium: The cross of R. hirsutum with R. minus yields 'Myrtifolium,' an excellent performer. This plant seems to have existed before 1824 but where it first appeared and who made the cross are both unknown. Rhododendron minus was introduced to Britain in 1786 via John Fraser. Return to Top.

Thompson: Some claim the first hybrid recorded was an azaleodendron, a chance hybrid between R. calendulaceum and R. ponticum that occurred in Thompson's Mile End Nursery. By 1819 there was a plant of this in the collection at the Royal Botanic Garden at Edinburgh, listed as R. subdeciduum 'Thompson's Hybrid'.
Others claim that the first hybrid rhododendron was a plant called 'Azaleoides,' another azaleodendron, which comes from the cross of R. nudiflorum with R. ponticum. This plant originated at the nursery of a Mr. Thompson at Mile End, London, about 1820. Some claim this was bred in 1814.

Koster: The Dutch hybridizers M. Koster & Sons of Boskoop went on to cross R. catawbiense 'Parson's Grandiflorum' with an unnamed bright red Catawba hybrid to create the still-popular red NOVA ZEMBLA. The same nursery firm more than twenty years later crossed the same two parent cultivars to achieve AMERICA. Return to Top

Smith: The old hardy hybrid rhododendron Nobeanum Venustum can often be seen flowering in December if the weather stays mild through early winter. But normally it flowers in late winter. It was raised by William Smith, gardener to the Earl of Liverpool at Coombe Wood, Kingston on Thames, and later nurseryman at Norbiton. At Norbiton, Smith became a very adventurous hybridizer. Return to Top

Gowen: Rev. William Herbert's azaleodendron HYBRIDUM encouraged his elder brother, the Earl of Carnarvon, to institute extensive experiments at Highclere Castle in Berkshire under the supervision of J. R. Gowen, who later became Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society. They produced 'Altaclerense', a hybrid between R. arboreum and a R. catawbiense/R. ponticum cross. There is an original plant of this at Tregothnan. This plant exists today, both in the trade and in cultivation. Return to Top

Russell: Russell's nursery at Battersea. CORNISH EARLY RED is a synonym for RUSSELLIANUM. Return to Top

M. Waterer: By crossing R. arboreum with R. caucasicum in 1833, the Michael Waterer (1770-1842) at Knaphill, Woking, UK, produced the well known 'Nobleanum' which flowers at Christmas. In 1870 Anthony Waterer (1822-1896) of Knap Hill Nursery began hybridizing using the species and developed hybrids of the deciduous rhododendrons that included those hybrids from Belgium and species from eastern North America, China, Asia Minor along with R. occidentale from western North America. Then in the 1920's these Knaphill's were hybridized further by Lionel Rothschild of Exbury Gardens in Hampshire to produce the Exbury strain of azaleas. Return to Top

Cunningham: Rhododendron 'Cunningham's White' was an early hybrid introduced in 1830 by hybridizer James Cunningham of Comely Bank Nurseries of Edinburgh, Scotland. His hybrid R. 'Cunningham's White' very well may hold the record for the most propagated rhododendron ever. To this day it is still the best rootstock for grafted plants and used throughout the world for grafting rhododendrons. There are a many great hybrids with R. 'Cunningham's White' in their parentage.

J. Waterer: In 1829 Michael Waterer (1770-1842) took control of John Taylor's nursery at Bagshot. John Waterer (1784-1868), Michael's brother went to live on the nursery and three of his sons - Frederick, Michael and John - worked with him on the nursery which traded as 'John Waterer & Sons'. It was known for specializing in American plants, especially Rhododendrons. Return to Top

Veitch: James Veitch, Veitch Nurseries of Killerton and Exeter. In 1846, Thomas Lobb, a Cornishman working for James Veitch of Exeter, sent R,. javanicum and R. jasminiflorum from Java and Sumatra respectively. Later, he also introduced from the Malayan Peninsula and lower Burma R. malayanum, R. moulmainense, and R. veitchianum. Over the years, the Veitches were instrumental in sending collectors all over the world and introducing a great many valuable plants into cultivation in Britain, but no more rhododendrons until they sent E. H. Wilson to China in 1899. Return to Top

Paxton: Paxton of Chandler & Sons Nursery, London, introduced Rhododendron 'Fragrans', in 1843, and described it as, "A sweet-scented azaleodendron, fast-growing and compact with trusses of small flowers, pale mauve with centers lighter to white." Recent DNA testing of Rcvs. 'Fragrans', 'Fragrans Affinity', and 'Fragrant Affinity' verified that all three are crosses of R. ponticum and "viscosum", but that the three hybrids are distinct, and not the same clones. The report leads to speculation that the "viscosum" was probably a natural hybrid of viscosum since these are common in the wild and difficult to identify. However, the tests concluded that hybrids Rcvs. 'Fragrans', 'Fragrans Affinity', and 'Fragrant Affinity' were definitely the results of crosses of evergreen rhododendrons of subgenus Hymenanthes and deciduous azaleas of subgenus Pentanthera. Return to Top

Francoisi: Fastuosum Flore Pleno' is a sterile double-flowered hybrid, bred before 1846 by Geber Francoisi of the Francoisi Brothers nursery in Ghent, Holland. Return to Top

A. Waterer: Anthony Waterer (11822-1896), the second proprietor of the family's Knap Hill nursery was a prolific hybridizer with many hardy hybrids. Return to Top

Standish & Noble: Messrs. Standish and Noble began their famous nursery at Sunningdale in Surrey in 1847. It was just a year before Joseph Dalton Hooker arrived back from Sikkim with seed of his twenty-six species of Himalayan rhododendrons that were to play such an important role in hybridizing over the one hundred years to come. In the early 1850's, many robust hardy hybrids were being offered by Standish and Noble at Sunningdale. In 1859 Standish and Noble parted company. Standish started a separate nursery at Ascot some three miles west of Sunningdale. In 1860 they both introduced a hybrid with R. griffithianum blood; one calling the new hybrid 'Cynthia' and the other 'Lord Palmerston'. We all know which name made it. While Standish was much the better grower and propagator, Noble, it seems, was the better name caller. Return to Top

Glasnevin: In 1800 the Glasnevin botanic garden was founded by the Dublin Society for Promoting Husbandry and Other Useful Arts; with its comparative plantings of different crops and regular demonstrations of the latest agricultural machinery, must have been more like a model farm than a botanic garden. By contrast, the Liverpool botanic garden was created in 1803, was more like a public park, an ornamental pleasure garden, full of exotic blooms and very much dedicated to the growing popularity of gardening as a hobby. Return to Top

Waterer: Many hardy hybrids were offered by the Waterer firms at Bagshot and Knaphill. Most of these, unfortunately, were grafted on R. ponticum stocks. This was before it was realized what a very vigorous species this is, and in all too many cases the stocks overwhelmed the scions. This accounts for the clumps of R. ponticum in many old gardens, where originally more attractive hardy hybrids had been planted. Return to Top

Lee: Lee was a pioneer hybridizer of Lee and Kennedy at Hammersmith, London. The gardens of Lee and Kennedy were of such an extensive scale they were considered national monuments. Return to Top

H. Waterer: Hosea Waterer (1793-1853) was the first proprietor of the Waterer families Knap Hill Nursery, before Anthony. Return to Top

Iveson: Mr. Iveson was head gardener to the Duchess Dowager of Northumberland at Syon. Return to Top

Parsons: Parsons Nursery was established in Flushing, Long Island, NY, in 1840. Return to Top

Byls: M. Jean Byls of Ghent, Belgium. Return to Top

Horlick: Sir John Horlick, who made his money from a malted milk drink, Horlicks. Return to Top

Liebig: Ludwig Leopold Liebig, 1801-1872, operated Elisenruhe Nursery near Dresden. Return to Top

Nuttall: Thomas Nuttall, Lancashire, (1786-1859), a British native, was appointed professor of Botany at the Harvard Botanic Garden. Return to Top

Schulz: Otto Schulz, head gardener of the Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin. Return to Top

Seidel: Traugott Jacob Herrmann Seidel of T. J. Seidel Brothers, near Dresden.

Rollisson: Rollisson & Son Nursery, Tooting, London. Return to Top

Van Houtte: Louis van Houtte was born in 1810 Belgium and became one of that Belgium's greatest plant explorers and nurserymen. He operated several nurseries in Ghent. Return to Top

Methven: T. Methven, of the Stanwell Nurseries, Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, Scotland. Return to Top

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Also see the History of the Genus Rhododendron and

History of the Discovery and Culture of Rhododendrons

Directory of Contents for Henning's Rhododendron & Azalea Pages

• Home Page for Henning's Rhododendrons & Azaleas
• About the author
• Articles Published by ARS
• Azaleas
  • Evergreen Azaleas photos
  • Deciduous Azaleas photos
• Azaleodendrons photos
• Blog - See Editorials
• Classification - Former Genus Rhododendron Taxonomic Tree
  • New Genus Rhododendron Taxonomic Tree
• Companion Plants
  • Companion Trees
• Culture: How to grow Rhododendrons and Azaleas
• Dwarf Rhododendrons photos
• Editorials - Allelopathy, Aluminum Sulfate, Invasive, Open the Roots, Origin, Phila Gardens, Ticks & Mosquitos
• Fragrant Rhododendrons & Azaleas photos
• Genus Rhododendron
• Glossary of Rhododendron Terms
• History of Genus Rhododendron photos
  • Discovery and Early Culture photos
  • First Hybrids and Hybridizers
• How to grow Rhododendrons and Azaleas
• Hybrid Rhododendrons photos
  • First 50 Years of Hybrids and Hybridizers
• Index for Henning's Rhododendron & Azalea Pages
  • Index to Rhododendron and Azalea Species Photos and Descriptions
  • Index to Hybrid Rhododendron and Azalea Photos and Descriptions
  • Index to Pennsylvania Rhododendron and Azalea Photos and Descriptions
• Japanese Rhododendrons photos
• Links to other pages
• Native Rhododendron of North America photos
• The Other Rhododendron Groups: Choniastrum, Ledum, and Therorhodion photos
• Photographs of Rhododendron & Azalea Species and Cultivars
  • Steve's Photos of Rhododendron & Azalea Species photos
  • Steve's Photos of Rhododendron & Azalea Hybrids photos
  • Rhododendra Website of Rhododendron Photos and Information: Hirsutum's replacement photos
• Problems and Their Solutions
• References: Listed by Author or Listed by Title
• Shade, Sun & Heat Tolerant Rhododendrons photos
• Species Rhododendrons photos
         Azaleas photos
         Elepidotes photos
         Lepidotes photos
         Vireyas photos
• Toxicity of Rhododendrons

Articles Published by the American Rhododendron Society

• 2023 ARS 76(2):79-83 Rhododendron & Azalea Pioneer: Edmund V. Mezitt.
  
  
• 2022 May-Jun R&A News Evergreen Azaleas
  
  
• 2022 Jan-Feb R&A News Native Rhododendrons & Azaleas of North America
  
  
• 2021 Nov-Dec R&A News Sun, Shade & Heat Tolerant Rhododendrons & Azaleas, Which Are Cold Hardy
  
  
• 2021 Nov-Dec R&A News Vireyas, Rhododendrons That Grow On Trees
  
  
• 2021 Sep-Oct R&A News Elepidote Rhododendrons — Indumentum & Tomentum
  
  
• 2021 Sep-Oct R&A News Harold Greer, 1945-2021
  
  
• 2021 Jul-Aug R&A News John Doppel, 1930-2020
  
  
• 2021 Jul-Aug R&A News Lepidote Rhododendrons & Leaf Scales
  
  
• 2021 May-Jun R&A News Deciduous Azaleas
  
  
• 2021 Mar-Apr R&A News Where Rhododendrons grow and how they got there.
  
  
• 2021 Jan-Feb R&A News Caring for Rhododendrons in Winter.
  
  
• 2016 JARS 70(4):189-195 Taking Care of the Gardener: Don't let Ticks & Mosquitoes Vector in on you!
  
  
• 2015 ARS 69(3):134-136 History of the Founding of the ARS and Major Awards.
  
  

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Last Updated: July 6, 2020