Identification: What rhodo shrub blooming in November?

I've been lectured before about expecting a rhododendron ID, but it doesn't keep me from trying. I have been seeing a lot of what seems to me to be the same shrub in bloom now, beginning of November, all around the West End and Kitsilano, which is why I think it might be something I could put a name to. No indumentum on the leaf backs.

 

It must be Rhododendron perversa although the same name could be given to any number of other perverse rhodos that compromise their spring/summer display by blooming out of season.

 

Just confirming that you said this in jest?

 

Of course! Seeing as there's no such thing as R. perversa, I was trying to humourously point out that many rhodos 'perversely' bloom late in the year - usually just some of the trusses. This robs us of as full a display as we would have enjoyed if they waited until their normal bloom time. One such rhodo in my garden has no buds left for the spring. Sorry for the confusion.

 

There's a lot of similarity of the foliage and details of the flowers to this one:

rhododendron scintillation - Bing images

 

Thank you! I see that listed at GardenWorks, a BC Nursery:
Scintillation Rhododendron (Rhododendron 'Scintillation') in Vancouver Victoria Burnaby Penticton Coquitlam British Columbia BC at GardenWorks
It is also listed at a few Vancouver Island nurseries.
It is supposed to be a mid-spring bloomer. GardenWorks calls it an inter-specific hybrid, but doesn't list the parents - ah, that's because they are unknown. It was hybridized by Charles Dexter. The Missouri Botanical Garden page at Rhododendron 'Scintillation' - Plant Finder guesses R. fortunei to be one likely parent. I'm glad to see it calls the colour "purplish-pink", as I saw some others today and thought they had a bit more purple than in my photos.

 

It is not uncommon for some spring flowering trees and shrubs that a few mature flower buds will break their dormancy in the fall. I have seen it several times on my fruit trees.

 

I'm wondering now about the 'Scintillation' ID because of this part of the description on the Missouri Botanical Garden page:

The flowers have flared greenish-yellow markings in the throat ​

All the ones I have photographed have reddish-purple markings. Here are some photos from the West End, several shrubs at a condo building.


Maybe something else that's common locally?

 

Do an image search on the web, a percentage of examples with reddish flares come up along with those that have the more characteristic yellow ones - I checked for this before making the suggestion. However because there are so many hybrid rhododendrons it could just as well be another variety.

chevalier felix de sauvage rhododendrons - Bing images

 

Yes, looks like 'Scintillation', which is commonly sold locally. 'Rosamundi' ('Rosa Mundi'?) and/or 'Christmas Cheer' (I have difficulty telling them apart) is/are also frequently in flower at this time. Yesterday I noticed a big block of R. 'Peter John Mezitt' in full flower (!) just off University Boulevard between Main Mall and West Mall on the UBC Vancouver campus. I was also surprised to see numerous flowers in the block of 'Hansel' at the corner of Stadium Road and Southwest Marine Drive (immediately opposite the UBC Botanical Garden entrance). Perhaps it was the sunny couple of weeks that followed the cool weather in late October.

 

I'm in trouble here. You know I'm trying to photograph the Appreciation: - Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden - the Parks Board 50 | UBC Botanical Garden Forums, and I need the name 'Scintillation' for what the Parks Board brochure shows as this.

And here is the description:

The Missouri Botanical Garden page at Rhododendron 'Scintillation' - Plant Finder page linked to above also shows a pale pink flower, as does The American Rhododendron Society page at Hybrid Rhododendron Plant Description, which does say "Note, several forms exist."

I have two questions.
1. Really, this plant with almost-red flowers is just a different form of the pale pink one in the brochure? Here are some photos from today of the second location I posted, two plants which are finished blooming.



2. More to the point, as I don't really need the name of the plant I first posted here, is how I'm going to figure out what is 'Scintillation' on the Camellia Path in Stanley Park. This is in the running, as it's pink, markings look ok, stigma seems the right colour, timing seems about right, and it's at the location of the marker. Does this work for that name? I would have gone with this if I hadn't considered that name already taken by something so different.