Westonbirt Rhododendrons

 

PRESS RELEASE

RARE RHODODENDRONS SET TO BE THE STARS OF WESTONBIRT THIS SPRING

Visitors to the National Arboretum, Westonbirt this spring are in for a rare treat. A recent study of the rhododendron collection has revealed previously unidentified specimens that were introduced by the great Victorian plant hunters.

The giant flowering shrubs are one of the highlights of the spring flowering spectacle at the arboretum, which is managed by the Forestry Commission. The discovery of these rare specimens is very exciting for plant lovers and there are likely to be still more great findings - the study by Lear Associates has only just scratched the surface of the historical collection, with just 76 out of 825 listed plants researched so far.

The very rare R.arboreum hybrid with R.fortunei called ‘Eric Gill’ is described by curator Simon Toomer as a “real treasure”.

“This one, and some of the others mentioned in the report, are precious relics of the period in which they were created by selective breeding and planted by enthusiasts such as Sir George Holford, who inherited the Westonbirt estate in 1892.

“They are very exciting from an historical point of view and this makes their propagation and replanting very important. You could relate this to restoring an historic building after discovering long-lost artefacts and features within it.”

Author of the report, Michael Lear, worked closely with Westonbirt’s plant records officer Sally Day. He describes the rhododendrons as the ‘Cinderella’ of the arboretum’s whole collection.

“Everything else in the arboretum is recorded and labelled to an extremely high standard and this is like a black hole of knowledge. In fairness, rhododendrons are one of the most difficult plant groups to curate and catalogue - this level of neglect is not peculiar to Westonbirt.”

“There’s a wealth of information in the Westonbirt archives about the rhododendrons that used to be grown, sometimes with locations telling us where they were once planted. The challenge is knowing what is in the garden today when old labels have fallen off and maps weren’t drawn.”
 
He calls for a systematic resurvey of the rhododendrons throughout the collection to enhance public enjoyment and an assessment of priorities for conservation and future management.

Curator Simon Toomer believes that this invaluable report could herald the start of an exciting long-term rhododendron project for the arboretum:

“We have been aware for some time of the potential treasure in the collection of rhododendrons and have had a long-held ambition to get to grips with its identification, propagating and replanting.  Thanks to a grant for the report from Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum this has become possible and it’s hoped that over the next two or three years the project will continue, allowing full identification.

“This will lead to propagation by our team of experts and a major re-planting project in Main Drive – once known as Rhododendron Walk – that will return Westonbirt’s superb spring display of rhododendrons to its former glory. “

Other important discoveries highlighted by the report include:

 Best collection of van Nes hybrids including the important ‘Britannia’ grex that were introduced in the 1920s and include ‘Trilby’, ‘Mrs C.B. van Nes’ and ‘Bulstrode Park’.
 Excellent white R. arboreum hybrids including ‘Duchess of Portland’ and ‘Clivianum’
 Interesting R.griffithianum hybrids such as ‘Daphne Millais’
 R.calophytum and R.praevernum (possibly of wild origin)
 R.glischrum - probably from seed collected by R.Farrer in upper Burma in 1919.

Rhododendrons start flowering in April and peak throughout May. Entry costs £7 adult, £6 Concession, £2 child. For more information contact 01666 880220 or go to www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt