Hooray! Flowers at long last!

[Maggi Young]

Some of you will be familiar with the long running saga  of my Rhododendron auriculatum, : a plant which was planted out in 1985 at about five years of age, which has steadfastly refused to flower in all this time.
Earlier this year Ian said he thought that some buds looked like they might be flower buds but I disagreed, saying I was sure they were just growth buds... as usual.  

I've discovered that my Rhododendron auriculatum has made four flowers! After nearly thirty years! I'm not just happy, I'm in SHOCK!

Weather over the last couple of days meant they snuck out without me seeing and the first two flower heads are already battered by the rain, but I'm really thrilled.
 
Since the Forum attachment facility is still disabled while  upgrade work is done, you can see the R. auriculatum flower in Ian's latest Bulb Log  
http://www.srgc.org.uk/logs/logdir/2011Aug101312971183BULB_LOG__3211.pdf    


I was hoping for larger flowers... these are about 8 cms log with a spread on the mouth of the bell to around 7 cms .... but perhaps that is about right  or maybe , being its very first flowers it will do better next time!!

The scent is lovely... not very strong but quite delicious. The seven lobes of the bells are quite curvy. The flowers have a very interesting texture....  the overall feel is quite sturdy with a heavy substance  to the bells; rather rough on the outside like a cat's tongue and smooth an waxy on the interior. The rough exterior was a real surprise.
The  leaf and flower  pedicels all have a bristly hairy covering  but I don't think I've felt bristly flowers before on such a big flower!
Also, in looking at photos to see how the size and shape of mine compared to others, I've noticed that my plant does not have the red/pink bracts that the species is said to have. Bracts are palest lime green.... though the plant is now quite shaded so that may be a factor??

[maggiepie]

Congratulations, Maggi.
Not just on the flowers but on your patience.
It would have met Mr Shovel with me many moons ago.

[charlotte]

Maggi,

Congratulations on the auriculatum.  I put in a seedling in 2007; hopefully it will flower quicker on this side of the channel.

Charlotte
Belgium

[zephirine]

a plant which was planted out in 1985 at about five years of age

Congratulations, Maggi. These flowers were certainly a nice present for your 31th birthday!
You must have been a cute little baby-gardener, in 1985, at "about five years of age"!  

[Maggi Young]

Zeph... I was only eighteen months old then!! 

Helen..... I'm no quitter.  

Charlotte...... how lovely to hear from you... it's been too long. Might we have the pleasure of your company at the SRGC Discussion Weekend this year?
I do hope you are well and that your auriculatum will flower in the next year or two... it SHOULD do, by all accounts....I'm told they should flower by about 7  years.   Mine was just  not in a hurry!

[johnw]

Maggi - It's one species that is worth any wait.  Here it flowers anytime between late July and late August.  I suspect it will be the latter this year though the buds can move in the flash. The scent is incredible on a warm () summer evening.

How's the fragrance?   I detect vanilla, and no chocolate whatsoever.

johnw - +17c and drizzle. Rain tonight.

[Maggi Young]

Scent is light vanilla with some melon hints....... Scrummy!

[Lesley Cox]

Well done Maggi, and patience in this case has certainly been a virtue. I'm sure with my own dry climate and small collection of rhodos that ample water in summer when bud set starts, is the biggest factor in inducing flowering. Pile it one, even when the days are cool and damp. Lots and lots of water.

[Hoy]

Fun! I hope your plant will produce a lot of flower trusses every year from now on!

My plant had just one truss this year  - and in July, that's a bit earlier than normal but the vegetative growth has just started.

[katijah2]

Thirty years...wow Maggi, what patience!

I love my one and look foward every spring to the flowers. I bought it when my dog died as a memory to her, never fails to flower..Its a white one because she was a Bichon Frisé.

[Maggi Young]

I wonder myself how I lasted so long in that wait!

We have two West Highland Whites- small white furries rule!

[Natalia]

Maggie, congratulations!
I am impressed with patience!
It seems to me that the color of the corolla may be exposed to bright light a little brighter, but not too much change.