Species In Our Midst
Rhododendron recurvoides

by George Silverman

Rhododendron recurvoides
Picture by Dick Brooks

R. recurvoides (resembling R. recurvum) s.Taliense s.s.Roxieanum, under new classification s.Hymenanthes, s.s Glischra.

Greer puts height at 2" with hardiness to -10 F. Davidian discusses two forms, one compact (2-3 ft) while the other form sometimes up to 5 ft high. The more dwarf form is the most sought after and suitable for Rock Gardens.

First discovered by Kingdon-Ward in July 1926 in the valley of the Di Chu in Upper Burma. It was found growing scattered about on the sunniest of steep granite screes at an elevation of 11,000 ft. It is a choice plant of species collectors

Davidian believes the most striking feature is the densely bristly and bristly-glandular branchlets and petioies. Greer states that if the Taliense series is the Rolls-Royce of rhododendrons then this is a Silver Cloud. It was this description that made this writer rush to collect it. Thanks to the Species Foundation it has lived happily in Lexington, Ma tolerating temperatures a bit lower than 10 F. The foliage is long and pointed to 3" with white indumentum which turns later to orangy brown. The flowers are funnel-bell-shaped to 2 1/2" wide, are white, or white blushed rose, spotted crimson, and are held in compact trusses of 4-7. It has not yet bloomed for the writer.

Peter Cox says in his work, Dwarf  Rhododendrons that it would be an excellent candidate for hybridizing but as near as this writer can determine no one has risen to the bait. The other explanation is no one has gotten it to bloom since 1926. When responding to our groups survey, please be quick to correct me if I am wrong.