25. The Windy Corner

There are two unusually hardy species in East-Asia: Rhododendron dauricum and R. mucronulatum. These have been used in the breeding of a number of early-flowering cultivars which can stand considerable cold and wind. The climate in Bergen is in fact too mild for them, so they do not reach optimal development. The plants have only a short winter resting period and grow at such low temperatures that they can even flower during mild spells in midwinter in our region. However, they can be damaged by subsequent periods of frost. The most frequently planted cultivar of this group is the well-known ‘Praecox’, which originated as early as 1860.

Particularly in the USA, breeders have been working to obtain cultivars that can thrive in the tough climate in the Northeast by the Great lakes. A fine example is ‘Anna Baldsiefen’. By use of another hardy species, R. minus, other very hardy cultivars have been produced (see 23 The Cold Corner). ‘February Dawn’ is the earliest of these (and indeed the earliest of all Rhododendrons flowering at Milde). They are also well suited for forcing into flower indoors during the winter.

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