Brightening spaces through winter

Of all the different sections of the Rhododendron genus, it’s easy to think of them as being a winter, frost-hardy plant from the hills of East Asia and the Himalayan region. But there is a special rhododendron section which suppresses this thinking, the Vireya section.

The Vireya section is one of the only sections that requires a warm tropical environment to survive; this is due to lack of frost tolerance. It is native to the mountainous highlands of Malaysia through to New Guinea.

One example of a rhododendron from this section that can be seen at Dunedin Botanic Garden, in the east wing corner of the winter garden glasshouse. It is a cultivar named Rhododendron ‘Tropic Glow', coming from the cross of parent plants R. laetum and R. zoelleri.

This cultivar produces trusses of vibrant, bright orange, funnel-shaped flowers on the current year’s growth. It has the useful characteristic of having a sporadic six-month flowering period, which allows it to flower from midwinter and into spring. These flowers brighten indoor spaces throughout the cold winter months, bringing a sunrise aspect into a dull area.

Vireya rhododendrons are threatened in the wild by habitat modification.

So, think about planting one indoors to brighten a space.

Garden Life is produced by the Dunedin Botanic Garden.

For further information, contact Scott McMillan.