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A Capital Adventure
2006 ARS / ASA Joint Convention
Dr. Harold Sweetman
Friday Evening Speaker
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 Rhododendrons and Azaleas: Wild Species and Tamed Hybrids
The genus Rhododendron is richly diverse in flower color, fragrance, leaf size and texture. The talk will follow wilder species as they become tamer hybrids well suited for horticulture. In the past, rhododendrons were often considered aristocrats of older estate gardens. Today many species from around the world, as well as ironclad tested hybrids and new introductions, are well suited for any size contemporary garden landscape. Trips to Yunnan (China), Arunachal Pradesh (India) and the Appalachians to see rhododendrons in their natural habitats have instilled a special awareness of the full potential of the genus. Combining the natural beauty of the wild species with the patient artful hand of plant hybridizers has produced some of the most interesting and useful plants for the gardener’s pallet.
Biographical
Harold Sweetman, Executive Director of the Jenkins Arboretum for the past 20 years, has traveled extensively in the pursuit of expanding Arboretum plant collections. The Arboretum’s naturalistic landscape design showcasing native plants is an ideal setting for an extensive ericaceous plant collection of species and hybrid rhododendrons. He has a Ph.D. in Biology from Boston University and chairs the Research Committee of the American Rhododendron Society Research Foundation.
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