First Sign of Spring!
Last Sunday, driving out of Lincoln City, Oregon, on Hwy 101 north, I saw a rhody starting to bloom. It had about 5 buds half open and 5 more fully open - a lovely light violet.
But then, about 10 miles further up the road while crossing the Coastal Range (mt.), there was snow on the ground.
So, the first sign of spring? Or, just Mother Nature not being able to make up her mind?
The following thread was started by Jack in Portland on December 30, 2003 at 3:03 pm PST
interesting, was it in the open?
I have one camelia in bloom and some of the winter blooming shrubs have been blooming for some time.
The above followup was added by Roger in Olympia on December 30, 2003 at 3:10 pm PST.
There are a number of winter blooming Rhodos that are in bloom right now here in Nanaimo. Nice to find. I still have Martha Washington geraniums in bloom under cover on the carport. The newest buds are opening quite green and lack the briliant pink at other times.
The above followup was added by Barrie - Lantzville, Vancouver Isl on December 30, 2003 at 3:20 pm PST.
A Rhododedron with light purple flowers blooming this time of year is quite normal if it happens to be R. dauricum, R. mucronatum, or R. dauricum's hybrid "PJM", which is not common here but used to be a relatively common one in parts of the world too cold to grow most Rhodies.
R. dauricum is native to Siberia and is perfectly hardy down to at least -40 (Celsius or Fahrenheit, take your pick, they converge at -40). Its native climate is so cold it is prone to bursting into bloom Autumn through winter whenever it is not too cold--and if a sudden severe frost ruins them (and it takes a pretty hard freeze to do it) no problem as it always trickles them out and more will show up when it warms up again.
The Rhododendron Species Foundation has another, more obscure member of that group for sale this year--a more evergreen species that will probably do the same thing, burst into bloom mid-winter.
They are usually some shade of dirty light purple, but there are a few beautiful albas one of which I once had. It looked all the world like an Azalea (not close relations, tho) as they do because of their twiggy form, leaf shape, and even blossom shape, but it bloomed much too freakishly early for any real Azalea.
R. mucronatum 'Cornell Pink' is a pinkish shade of light purple. It is just about as hardy (coming from places like the mountains of Hokkaido) and is also prone to bursting into bloom in winter. Clear purples if you can find them are nice too.
Some clones do the midwinter thing better than others.
There are other Rhodies prone to blooming in winter by the way including one small-flowered hybrid fairly common here. Not sure what it is.
In late winter bloom some of the lepidote hybrids like x'Cilipensis' as well as its parent R. moupinensis. Also some elepidotes like R. barbatum and R. strigillosum, both of which are blood-red.
Some Arboreums bloom around late January. Amazingly we usually get lucky and they just miss freezes but one recent year a freeze did cut the show short.
The above followup was added by Rob Wagner on December 30, 2003 at 3:51 pm PST.
I saw a car today with a bumper sticker that read. "I brake for Rhodos". Don't brake too hard in that snow!
The above followup was added by Barrie - Las Palmas Norte - Lantzville on December 30, 2003 at 4:28 pm PST.
If thats a rhodendron, I have seen a few having a flower on them. I thought it was kinda of strange.
The above followup was added by kyle on December 30, 2003 at 6:04 pm PST.
I noticed the tips of a few early flowers pushing up. Spring iris and crocus.
The above followup was added by Andy Fritze, Maple Valley Wa, 8a on December 30, 2003 at 8:00 pm PST.
My daf's are out of the ground by about 3-5 inches.
Kenton
The above followup was added by Kenton on December 30, 2003 at 10:18 pm PST.
This time last year I had snowdrops blooming but this year all I have in the garden is lots of snowflakes. I have about an inch of snow but it is coming down hard now so I expect more in the morning.
The temp is 1.7C
I have my grape hyacins (not sure how to spell it) out about 5" and my crocuses are just poking out.
The above followup was added by Wes North Van on December 30, 2003 at 10:32 pm PST.