Rhododendron ‘Broughtonii’

Horticultural & Botanical History

it was figured among seedling Chinese Azaleas in Paxton's Magazine of Botany [MB p.55/1845], shown with deep pink flowers, speckled deep red on the upper segments.  This is probably the Rhododendron broughtonii Hort. mentioned in Wilson & Rehder [p.194]: ‘There is already a R. broughtonii Hort. which is a hybrid between two species of forms of Eurhododendron with rosy-red flowers.’  Eurhododendron species come mainly from China and the Himalayas and include Rhododendron arboreum.

History at Camden Park

Desideratum to Loddiges’ Nursery on 13th February, 1848 [MP A2933-1, p.172] and 1st February, 1849 [MP A2933-1, p.185].  I have found no other record of this plant and it may not have been received.  But Macarthur had mixed fortunes with plants received from Loddiges’ and elsewhere at this time and many were dead on arrival.  Some of these are listed in a subsequent letter but it is possible that others arrived alive and were planted in the gardens although never listed in the catalogues.

Notes

A less likely possibility is Rhododendron norbitonense Smith var. broughtonianum, raised by Smith of Norbiton and a Rhododendron molle x (R. maximum x R. ponticum) hybrid.

‘This interesting and handsome race of hybrids was raised by Wm. Smith of Norbiton near Kingston, England, about 1830.  After they were exhibited in Ghent in 1839 and before the Horticultural Society in London in 1842, they attracted much attention as yellow-flowered Rhododendrons and became widely known.  Of their parentage Lindley (in Bot. Reg. XXXI sub. t.51/1845) says: “The yellow and coppery mules of the late Mr. Smith of Norbiton were obtained from that white Rhododendron [“the fine white cross between R. ponticum and maximum”] by the pollen of sinense.” Smith apparently raised a large number of different forms.’  [Wilson & Rehder p.193].