I don't know which one I have, but I can beat it with a stick and it will survive. And the root systems are HUGE! I tried to take one out and just can't get the stump out.

Hi Lisa! I don't know much about rhodies, but one on your list caught my eye - Capistrano. You have it listed as large, but I think this is a smaller rhodie - not sure if you are referring to shrub size or bloom size here. But I've been looking for small (3-5feet) rhodies, and I came acrosss Capistrano in my research.

I just did a quick google search to confirm this before posting (I've been researching soooo much stuff lately I wanted to make sure I wasn't mixing things up!) and I found this thread (below) that might be of some help with this particular variety.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck!
:)
Dee

Here is a link that might be useful: Capistrano

Lisa,
I can't say enough good things about R. 'Purple gem' I have had four growing in full sun and part shade for a number of years in a front garden where winter interest is important and they have never had winter burn or pest/disease problems. In that same garden I did loose R. 'Capistrano' and recently replaced it with a Weston introduction R. 'New Century' that holds on to its leaves for three years rather than two which makes for a fuller looking bush. I'm a novice with rhodies but the bloom color of R. 'Capistrano' and R. 'New Century' seems identical to me. New Century will mature at 4' x 4'. I just read an interesting rhodie article in Arnoldia that I thought you might enjoy.

Here is a link that might be useful: In Pursuit of Ironclads

Thanks for the responses.

Dee - Thanks for catching my mistake. I do have Capistrano as 4 foot in ten years in my notes which would put it at medium size. Not why I had large on the brain. Thanks for your thread, too. I have Capistrano on my list because it is available from a local nursery. I'm off to check them out today, but I'll try to keep an eye out for some other choices they discussed.

Kt - I am so happy to hear good things about Purple gem. Winter interest is very important to me, so I specifically looked for ones that mentioned good winter color. I'll ask about getting New Century when I go nursery hopping today. Did you have a local source or can you order from Weston?

Here is a link that might be useful: Here is the database I used to look up the varieties my nursery listed.

Oh my! I never knew there were so many different rhododendrons! This link will keep me busy for awhile....

:)
Dee

Olga is not coral. Its pink, slightly violet-pink not as violet as some.

Purple Gem is great too. I have some in a sunny moist bed. Even though they are not supposed to like moist conditions, it does well. Its got good early color.

Olga Mezitt is pink and probably what is pictured. Olga has more yellow to it.

Shoot, I can't get the picture to embed, but here is the link.

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Olga

Well, the nursery didn't have the coral Olga anyway. I think they must have meant the pink Olga Mezitt on their stock list. But I did see one Percy Wiseman that was very cute.

I loved the Capistrano, Vulcan's Flame, and Cat. Album. And I am excited the Purple Gem is getting such great reviews. All I have to do is figure how I am going to pay for these and I might just have a Rhodie bed to plant!

Thanks for all your help!

Lisa

Purple Gem- need as fairly sunny location. In shade to part-shade it might develops into open center, but still dwarf shrub.
Capistrano- three years later after posting my observations in above mentioned thread, I didn't change my opinion about Capistrano a one single iota: it is THE best hardy yellow. Need part shade, otherwise flowers bleach to cream in a matter of couple of days. Tend to be somewhat leggy, but this problem could be easily solved if underplanted by lower growing purple or red azaleas.
Vulcan's Flame (griersonianum x Mars) - I don't grow this one, but have his seebling, Vulcan (Mars x griersonianum ).
Excellent red, it will beat common red, Nova Zembla, hands down. Late bloomer (early June for me), best buds production and habit in full sun, but flowers tend not to last long if planted in western exposure. It took me several attempts to find a right placement for it.
Catawbiense Album - excellent bloomer in a fairly shady situation where flowers will retain some pinkish tones of the buds, while in a more sunnier location pink will completely disappear in a 2-3 days after flowers opens. Look absolutely fantastic if planted side-by-side with Cat.'Boursalt' or Cat.'Grandiflorum' which blooms at the same time and identical in size and habit.

My own recommendation :-))
This is the rhododendron I wouldn't leave without, Persy Wiseman.
As with most Rh.yakushimanum it has a three-four very attractive stages in its bloom period
-pre-opening
{{gwi:400494}}

-prime
{{gwi:389883}}

-still prime
{{gwi:400497}}

-past-prime (it's soft apricot, not white)
{{gwi:400500}}

Ooops!!!
I spoiled the thread.
Maybe some computer wizards could change the size of the pictures?
Sorry.

George, the pic is that size on your photobucket site. The only way to change the viewing size is for you to replace the existing http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/ego45/May2005/HPIM1881.jpg (et als) with a right-sized one.

You could rename HPIM1881.jpg as HPIM1881_full.jpg on photobucket and upload a smaller resized one.

Not worth the trouble though IMO. We can deal.

In the future you can add "width=600" (or smaller) inside the img src command so that it shows up smaller like so:

{{gwi:400500}}

looks a lot like Ken Janek to me, but granted I don't have the eye.

That is interesting (and dumb!) that theres a olga and olga mezzit. no wonder they are used interchangable

Wow, George, that rhodie is gorgeous! What is the ultimate size on this one? Can it take about half-day (morning, into noon-day) sun?

:)
Dee

Wendy, thank you. I'll remember resizing next time if I'd know where to put size changes.
In what particular space of the HTML code should I incert "width=600"?

Dee, It was bought as 1.5x2' plant in 2004. Right now it's about 3' tall and and about 4' wide. As with all yaku hybrids it could be [eventualy] much wider but not much taller. The mature, 25+ y.o. specimen of Crete (the same statue) at Oliver is 5 x10'

George, just put it on the far right end of the code that starts with "<img ....blah blah>".

instead do: <img ... blah blah width=600>

I imagine photobucket gives you some html code to cut and paste into your text. so it might not be so cut and dry.