Rhododendron

The genus Rhododendron is a very large one and probably contains about 1000 species throughout the northern hemisphere and the tropics of South East-Asia.

The roots of our Rhododendron collection are in the private garden of Philippe de Spoelberch, Herkenrode, where he started planting about forty years ago. The genus succeeded well on the acid soil of Wespelaar and in particular under the canopy of conifers and oak trees. This has encouraged the Arboretum in 1995 to start a collection in a similar environment under Corsican pines. The priority has been given to a collection of species and important first generation hybrids. The collection is still young but this allows us to organize it in a systematic way, with subgenera and subsections grouped together in order to allow for comparisons and discrimination between species. You will find most rhododendrons in locations 160 to 169. This systematic planting of rhododendrons by section and subsection can be seen on our map of rhododendrons. 

Pictures © Arboretum Wespelaar