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Old 06-04-2003, 06:33 PM
Oryx
 
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Default Rhododendron without petals

When I moved into my house 3 years ago I inherited an established garden
containing (amongst other things) a healthy Rhododendron approximately 3
foot high by 4 foot wide.

The garden is sited on moderately heavy clay soil and is south facing. The
Rododendron is in a sheltered spot in partial shade in the morning but gets
a fair amount of sun in the afternoon. In early spring the plant produces
numerous flowers. These consist of the sepals anthers and stamens but no
petals are produced whatsoever. The fruits/seeds are developing at the
moment and all appear quite normal. I know that the fruits are fertile as I
now possess several baby Rhododendrons that have self seeded and exhibit the
same petal-less appearance as their parent. The plant itself appears very
healthy and is producing an abundance of new shoots at present.

Is this lack of petals due to the variety of Rhododendron I own or is it
caused either by disease or the conditions in which it grows ? Although I
love my Rhododendron I am envious of all the Rhododendrons sporting flowers
in other peoples gardens.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Helen