The pink rhododendrons in what I think is Sutcliffe Park on the south side of False Creek were fully in bloom on January 9, with a lot of flowers (most of them, really) looking past their prime. The Park Board's brochure for what's in bloom in the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden in Stanley Park (not this park, but this park is also Park Board property) shows a photo of one that looks similar called R. 'Beacon'. The text says it's the earliest blooming rhododendron in the Greig garden and that "its first pink flowers appear around the middle or end of February". I've read that some early ones have an even earlier round of blooming, so I'm wondering if this could really be the ID of these. Hirsutum.com has a page, with no photo, showing 'Beacon' as mid-season. It's really hard to do a search because Victoria's Beacon Hill Park comes up.
Well, I checked the Greig garden and there are no rhododendrons in bloom at all, so it would seem more likely that this is something different, unless False Creek being a little warmer would allow for a pre-season blooming.
Great. Thanks, Ron. I see it's also written 'Rosa Mundi'. a greatplantpicks.org page mentions a near-twin 'Christmas Cheer', saying "'Christmas Cheer' has slightly shorter leaves and blooms a week earlier than 'Rosa Mundi'." Actually, many pages I see for one say to also see the other. Here are descriptions from oregonstate.edu 'Christmas Cheer' 'Rosamundi' Since these seemed to be past their prime on January 9, and were taller than 4' rather than low mounding, I wonder if that would make them 'Christmas Cheer'. On the other hand, the hirsutum.info page for 'Christmas Cheer' shows rather larger darker leaves. Here is their 'Rosa Mundi' page. Maybe we don't get 'Christmas Cheer' around here? That would make it easy.
'Christmas Cheer' is less tall with less obovate leaves and less pink flowers. It typically goes nearly white before dropping. There are many of both in plantings here.
Re: Rhododendron 'Beacon'? Very early pink - 'Rosamundi' I didn't see these leaves as being obovate (with a narrower basal end), but maybe that's a little more evident in this photo.
I think this one is different, but I'm not certain. I don't have the right name in the title anyway, so I hope I can get away with asking for one more ID here in this thread. This is across from English Bay, a block away from me, in the park where the A-maze-ing Laughter sculpture is. It looks pretty similar to the other, is maybe twice my height, seems to have larger flowers than the other, and no indumentum on the leaves. Do those three features make it not 'Rosamundi'? I don't remember how long it's been there, so while it should exceed the height for 'Rosamundi', it might be quite old.
I'm making another stab at getting a photo that matches the name of this thread. These seem to be the first in bloom in Stanley Park (though this is also not exactly the Grieg Garden), and it looks similar to what the Parks Board brochure shows for 'Beacon'. Is this it?
'Beacon' I don't know. They all just keep creeping up over the decades, like dwarf and slow-growing conifers. 10 year heights listed for each kind do not apply when specimens are multiple times that in age. It being common, and grown in this area for years, it is possible to find 'Rosamundi' above head height.
