'Stunning' - Visitor in raptures over rhodos

Steve Hootman of the US at the Rhododendron Conference on Monday. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Steve Hootman of the US at the Rhododendron Conference on Monday. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Dunedin is putting on a blooming good show of rhododendrons, one of the world's foremost authorities on the flower says.

Steve Hootman is executive director and curator of the Rhododendron Species Foundation in the city of Federal Way, in Washington state.

Mr Hootman arrived in Dunedin on Sunday night for the 70th Jubilee International Rhododendron Conference, and said he had already been to the city's botanic garden to see its world-renowned rhododendrons.

''It's stunning,'' he said.

''I'm very impressed. It's a great collection. It's striking what you can do outside here.

''You have a lot of the tender ones, things that we couldn't grow outside in the Northwest [of America] because they would be killed by the cold, but at the same time you have high alpine plants that are also doing well.''

Mr Hootman is considered one of the world authorities on the genus Rhododendron, and said Dunedin's ''special climate'' was one of the best in the world for growing rhododendrons.

He was particularly impressed with the R. maddenii and the big-leaf rhododendrons on display, and said the specimens grown here were the best he had seen in a long time.

''Also your own homegrown hybrids are fantastic. A lot of them are in full bloom right now, and some of those are among the best I've ever seen.''

He was looking forward to visiting some of Dunedin's private suburban and rural rhododendron gardens.

Mr Hootman is one of several guest speakers at the conference and will speak about the 15 expeditions to remote regions of Asia he had led and participated in, looking for rare and new taxa of rhododendrons and other plants.

''It's like finding lost treasure. There could be loads of species out there in Asia still to be discovered.''

He is an active collector, authority and promoter of related Ericaceae, including genera such as Vaccinium, Agapetes and Gaultheria.

More than 230 rhododendron lovers from around the world rolled into Dunedin for the conference, which began yesterday and ends on Friday.

It includes a bloom display in the Glenroy extended foyer and a section for unnamed hybrids.

There will be a plant auction during the conference banquet on Thursday evening, with proceeds going to Tannock Glen, the Dunedin Rhododendron Group's garden; and a sale of plants from local growers at Larnach Castle on Thursday.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

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