the rhododendron species garden

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The Rhododendron

Species Garden

Paul Richardson

May 2011


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The gardens in Federal Way, Washington are located adjacent to the

Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Collection. The gardens are run by the

Rhododendron Species Foundation. They state their mission as

The Rhododendron Species Foundation is a non-profitorganization dedicated to the conservation, research, acquisition,

evaluation, cultivation, public display and distribution of

Rhododendron species. The Foundation provides education

relating to the genus and serves as a unique resource for scientific,

horticultural and general gardening communities worldwide.

Conservation has become of primary importance in recent years

due to the destruction ofRhododendron habitat in many areas of

the world.

It may seem ironic but the path that many of the species found their way

to the gardens had a very similar path to that taken by many European

emigrants to America. Dr. Milton Walker representing a group

interested in studying, growing, and preserving the rhododendron genus

went to England and visited many gardens there surveying their

collections of rhododendron species. Following his return he wrote to

them and more that he hadnt visited in Wales, Scotland and Northern

Ireland asking for cuttings to be sent.

The group then discovered that American import restrictions prevented

them being sent here. However, they were able to work out an

arrangement with Mary Grieg, owner of the Royston Nursery on

Vancouver Island to propagate the cuttings there. Ms Grieg did somefurther research and was able to reach an agreement with The University

of British Columbia to propagate the cutting there. The shipments

started arriving in 1964. After propagation in BC for 2 years they were

shared with the Rhododendron society with UBC also keeping


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representatives of each type. The first plants were sent to Milton

Walkers property near Eugene, Oregon.

Three years later the collection was moved to the property of RSFboard member P.H. (Jock) Brydon, near Salem, Oregon. By the

fall of 1973 it had become apparent that the collection was

becoming too large for the Brydon property, and a committee met

with George Weyerhaeuser (a relative of committee member

Corydon Wagner), who was immediately and enthusiastically

receptive to the idea of providing space on the new Weyerhaeuser

corporate campus. In 1974 the Weyerhaeuser Company generously

leased at no cost a permanent site of 24 acres for the collection at

its corporate headquarters in Federal Way, Washington. The

collection was relocated from Salem to the Federal Way site in

1975, and planted in accordance with the geographic area of

species origin.

Thus, the plants in the RSF Gardens are true world travelers as were

most of our own ancestors. It seems a fitting result that they have found

a permanent home. There are on the order of 850 known Rhododendron

species (Azaleas are a major grouping of Rhododendron). The garden in

Federal Way contains about 500 of those species. The quotes included

above were taken from the RSF website.

While we didnt have time to explore the entire site which is

labyrinthine in layout we did see enough to purchase a membership to beable to come again often as time allows. The pictures that follow have

non-rhododendron specimens included that are in the garden as well.


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the rhododendron species garden

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