ARS Victoria Newsletter – October 2020

• Date: 17th October 2020
• author: Andrew Rouse

ONLY SECOND FLOWERING OF R. SEARLEANUM IN AUSTRALIA

Walter Lobbezoo has flowered the highly scented R. searleanum for what may be only the second time in Australia (Simon Begg flowered it about four years ago). This species hails from the highlands of New Guinea and has an interesting history in Australia. It was collected originally by Louis Searle who collected many Rhododendrons and had a long association with the ARS . I found the following article in Vireya Venture No 35 April 1999, presumably written by the editor J. Clyde Smith.

‘In the last issue of the VV (No. 34 , Jan 99) Mrs Sylvia Saperstein wrote of the growing on of a plant of R. searleanum for Mr Lou Searle. This is the only plant in Australia that we know of , it was sent from Edinburgh by George Argent at Lou's request, years ago. This aroused Brian Clancy's interest and he wrote to me with some facts of the history of this species. I quote from his letter...

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