THE EVALUATION OF RHODODENDRON HYBRIDS IN THE RHODODENDRON COLLECTION OF THE HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION BAD ZWISCHENAHN

The number of different Rhododendron hybrids and species in the Rhododendron-, Conifer und Heather Garden of the Horticultural Research Station Bad Zwischenahn reached the number of more than 1.800 (= 5.500 plants) in spring 1991. This large collection was founded in 1962 at the former site of the Research Station at Aurich in the district Ostfriesland (East Frisia) and transplanted in 1975/76 to the main centre of nurseries at Bad Zwischenahn-Rostrup.

A lot of the transferred plants was then damaged during the very hot summer in 1975 and 1976, but regenerated little by little till 1978. The very hard winter 1978/79 with several times of ice-rain, long frost periods and masses of snow was a further back-stroke, which destroyed many plants completely.

Overcoming these primary difficulties at the new place Bad Zwischenahn, the Rhododendron collection grew up and contains today 840 varieties of large flowered Rhododendron hybrids, 108 varieties of Yakushimanum hybrids, 77 varieties of Williamsianum hybrids, 59 varieties of Repens hybrids, 75 different small flowered hybrids, 96 varieties of Mollis hybrids, 162 hybrids of Japanese Azaleas, 149 Knap Hill hybrids, 61 Ghent hybrids, 7 Occidentalis hybrids, 9 Viscosum hybrids, 7 Azaleodendrons and about 150 species: total 1.818 hybrids and species.

Beside the rhododendrons the garden contains more than 700 different conifers and up to 500 Erica (Heath) and Calluna (Heather) species and in addition a number of deciduous plants.

V International Rhododendron Conference

W. Schmalscheidt

rare hybrids

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.364.26