MAY, p. 6: azalea, azalea

• Rhododendron 'Sappho',  azalea:

SJG 5/26/11 •  Rhododendron 'Sappho',  azalea - corolla purple red,
by Viburnum (L) and 2-tone azalea (R), E side of the W path; Area  Q

SJG 6/4/11 • Rhododendron 'Sappho' 9 days later: blooms fully opened; Area Q
(35 Rhododendrons 'Arnoldiana' of the top of the rock wall fading slowly)

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron 'Sappho',  azalea, close-up

• Rhododendron viscosepalum var. 'Daviesii':

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron viscosepalum var. 'Daviesii' - cream with yellow splotch;
1 on the water-bank, another on the path (NW corner),; Area  Q

SJG 6/4/11 •  Rhododendron viscosepalum var. 'Daviesii' 9 days later;
blooms totally open; Area Q

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron viscosepalum var. 'Daviesii', close-up

+ delightful entry about rhododendron 'Daviesii' here: 'Good morning, Azalea' (click here to read it) from a person who lives in Seattle...


• Rhododendrons japonicum & 'Arnoldiana'; azaleas:

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendrons japonicum & 'Arnoldiana'; azaleas;
bottom: R. 'Arnoldiana' - corolla carmine pink; top R. japonica - corolla yellow;
N side of the N path, near green boxes; Area S

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron japonicum, azalea, close-up

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron 'Arnoldiana'; azalea, close-up

• Rhododendron japonicum; azalea (D= deciduous) 

Kathy explained that if azalea doesn't have a specific 'surname', e.g. 'Sappho' or 'Daviesii' and comes only named as 'Rhododendron japonicum, azalea' or 'azalea mollis' it usually has flowers in pastel shades of orange, yellow and tan (hard to predict until they bloom), like the ones below.


More on azalea mollis in 'The Story of hybridization of decideous azaleas in Western Europe' by WALTER SCHMALSCHEIDT, Germany:
R. japonicum, called before Azalea mollis, has probably been introduced to Europe only1861 by Mr. Von Siebold. Other sources tell, that the introduction already took place in 1830. The mollis Hybrids arose out of crosses between R. japonicum (=Azalea mollis) x R. molle(=Azalea sinensis). Further  we count to this group the so called Mollis-Sinensis Hybrids, which also are named as the R. kosterianum Hybrids.  
http://www.rhodoland.nl/articles.en.htm
  

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron japonicum; azalea - corolla yellow, orange, peach;
clump on top of the rock wall, Area Q

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron japonicum; azalea, yellow close-up

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron japonicum; azalea, orange close-up

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron japonicum; azalea, peach close-up

SJG 5/26/11 • Another example of Rhododendron japonicum; azalea - across the path
from area P clump:  corolla peachy-orange, deciduous,
next to the pine tree (Pinus strobus 'Radiata'); Area O 

• Rhododendron Wada hybrid; azalea:

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron Wada hybrid; azalea - corolla white;
along the stone path to Kobe lantern; Area O

SJG 5/26/11 • Rhododendron Wada hybrid; azalea, close-up