The Plant and Flower
The large white flowers of R. veitchianum are usually over 4 inches across and wonderfully fragrant. Some forms
have a strong yellow blotch but the form I grow has a very pale blotch and at times appears
almost pure white. This species is in the Subsection
Maddennia of the genus, and is therefore a lepidote rhododendron and has scales underneath
the leaves but are not very winter hardy. I grow my plants outside during the summer but bring them into a cold greenhouse
until February or March. Then I let them flower inside to make those cold winter days
less dreary.
Because its native habitat is in southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Vietnam), the
plant is very heat and drought tolerant but doesn't take the cold. It is hardy to only
20 degrees F (-7C). However, I recently I discovered that R. veitchianum seems to
root in water since a cutting I had placed in a small bottle last winter now has roots!
R. veitchianum (flower)
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R. veitchianum (plant)
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R. veitchianum (cutting)
Rooted in water!
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R. veitchianum (bark)
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Plant #1 - Flowering in February and March of 2004
Full View of Plant
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Top of Plant
Flowers and Buds
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Some Lepidote Crosses Attempted in 2004 with R. veitchianum pollen
Haag's '24 Karat'
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April Rose
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Gable's Early Bright Pink
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Kehr's White R. mucronulatum
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