Book Downloads

The Rhododendron Handbook 1998: Rhododendron Species in Cultivation

The Rhododendron Handbook 1998 was published in 1997. It is the last in an occasional standalone series started in 1952 and has not been revised or reprinted. Publication was prompted by the major taxonomic revision of Rhododendron in the early 1980s and the growing interest in Vireya species which had not been covered in earlier editions. It was a joint venture between the Royal Horticultural Society and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and designed to provide descriptions for species generally regarded to be in cultivation and therefore of more general use to growers and enthusiasts than the all-encompassing Revision itself.

As well as being of use as a source of reference for rhododendron species, presented in both alphabetical and strict botanical order, there is a comprehensive list of Collectors' Numbers covering rhododendron collections made in the wild from 1899 until 1996.

IMPORTANT: Taxonomic treatment of various species may have altered since the original publication.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to the Royal Horticultural Society for granting the Group permission to offer this publication digitally.
It has been scanned and converted into searchable text using OCR technology. It is NOT perfect but it is hoped that it is sufficiently accurate to allow meaningful research.
Until now the Handbook has only been available to those who purchased the printed edition. Thanks to the generosity of the RHS, it is now made freely available to all for information and research.

The Revision of Rhododendron

Publication of the taxonomic revision of genus Rhododendron began in 1980 with Volume 39 No. 1 of the Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. This brought into use the current classification with which we are now familiar, commencing with the lepidote species of Subgenus Rhododendron and followed by Volume 39.2 in 1982 with the elepidotes of Subgenus Hymenanthes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for granting the Group permission to offer these publications digitally. They represent a valuable resource for the rhododendron community, researchers and growers alike .
Further elements of the Revision will appear here in due course.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Taxonomic treatment of various species may have altered since the original publication.

These publications contain full descriptions of the then known species together with maps of their incidence in the wild, details of their original introduction, naming and the location of type specimens.

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The International Rhododendron Register and Checklist Second Edition 2004

The International Rhododendron Register and Checklist Second Edition was published in two volumes in 2004. It has not been revised or reprinted. Instead, omissions, corrections and additions have been published annually as Supplements. They are available for download here or on the RHS website
www.rhs.org.uk/plants/plantsmanship/plant-registration/rhododendron-cultivar-registration/Rhododendron

Rhododendrons 1972 with Magnolias and Camellias

The 1972 edition of the yearbook represents a milestone in the Group's evolution. The fact that it was published at all is remarkable. A hardback edition of the Rhododendron Year Book had been published since 1946 but in 1971 the RHS took the decision to cease its production, along with the other specialist titles for Daffodils and Lilies.

With limited resources, the Rhododendron Group at the time decided to attempt a small publication under its own auspices, succeeding in producing the title now made available for your interest and enjoyment. So few copies were printed and such was its quality that it has become a real rarity, creating a problem for those who seek a continuous run of books. It is hoped this digital copy will make amends and suffice until 'real' copies become available.

The Rhododendron Society Notes

The Rhododendron Society was the forerunner of the Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group. Formed in 1915 by Charles Eley, J G Millais and PD Williams, one of the conditions of membership was the requirement to contribute occasional notes about the burgeoning number of new species of rhododendrons and the developing skills required to grow them successfully. These offerings were collated and published in fifteen parts – three volumes of five parts each – between 1917 and 1931.

Only published for the Society’s limited membership, original copies are scarce and expensive but they contain much of interest for current growers and students of rhododendron history alike. Fortunately, this continuing value was recognised in 1976 by the Pacific Rhododendron Society, based in Tacoma, Washington, USA, which produced a facsimile copy of each part.

The Group has been given permission to scan and publish the facsimile edition online by Fred Whitney – the last remaining officer of the Pacific Rhododendron Society. Without this it is unlikely that the project would have come to fruition as the inevitable damage to original bound copies in the scanning process would have been unthinkable.

These Notes will be published online on an occasional basis as the work to scan them is completed. Your patience whilst this process is taking place is requested.
Until now these works have only been accessible to the lucky few; the various permissions that the Group has received make this online publication freely available to all.

You may download the Notes by clicking on the approprate PDF icon below.

The Rhododendron Story

200 Years of Plant Hunting and Garden Cultivation Edited by Cynthia Postan

Published in 1996 to celebrate half a century of the Rhododendron Yearbook, this publication gives a marvellous insight into the world of rhododendrons and the people who helped create it. 224pp.

It is now out of print but we are fortunate to have been given permission to make it freely available to our members in PDF form.

You may download the book here WARNING it is 54MB in size so will take some time to download.
Alternatively you may choose to download the individual chapters which are around 4MB each.