Potomac Valley Chapter ARS

Rhododendron Species Raised by Joe Gable

by George Ring

Rhododendron Species

The following are just a few of the species grown by Mr. Gable:

Carolinianum Album
R. carolinianum album- Compact form.
R. racemosum
R. Racemosum- Gable grew seedlings from two collectors: Forrest 19404 and Rock 59717. He believed the Rock collection was more vigorous and hardy.
Augustinii
R. augustinii- Gable grew seeds from a number of sources, some good, some not so good. The Magor strain had the bluest flowers and was plant hardy. Like the others, it lost flower buds 2 years out of 3 for wanting to bloom too early.
Vernicosum
R. vernicosum- Gable grew a white vernicosum as well as vernicosum aff 18139 form. The form in the slide is close to decorum except that it has red stylar glands. It may have been distributed as decorum throughout parts of the Northeast.
Calendulaceum 'Dr. Skinner'
R. calendulaceum 'Dr. Skinner'- Seed was collected by Gable on a trip to the Smokies in North Carolina. I don't believe it has ever been released. It's probably still growing in front of their house in Stewartstown.
Makinoi
R. makinoi- Gable grew hundreds of seedlings of makinoi and sold most of them. His form tended to bloom in May instead of September. A puzzle to him. He said he never got a good hybrid with it as a parent.
He grew more than 50 species, mostly from seed collected by plant explorers, although some was obtained from others such as Guy Nearing. Many plants perished, but the ones that survived were the basis for his hybridizing.

Copyright © 2001 Potomac Valley Chapter ARS - George Ring



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