For the Love of Rhododendron ARS NextGen

In this episode we meet Emily Ellingson, Plant Collections
Curator at Polly Hill Arboretum. We learn how Emily’s own career was inspired by
Arboretum founder Polly Hill, who held a strong faith in seeds and became an early
adopter of electronic plant records. Emily shares the story of Polly’s Rhododendron
and Azalea hybrids, and highlights the important work taking place now in conservation
horticulture, including an excellent internship program, presenting the next
generation an opportunity to grow and try out different things, carrying on
Polly’s legacy, as expressed by Henry David Thoreau:

“Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared
to expect wonders.”

In this episode we meet Dr. Mary Jane Epps, a scientist at the Center for Urban Habitats in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Epps tells us how a moment of distraction while researching beetles led her to discover that flame azalea, a.k.a. Rhododendron calendulaceum, is pollinated by the wings of Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. We learn that this extremely rare type of pollination works because the flower shape offers the butterflies a clear landing platform, but that high diversity in Rhododendron flower shapes results in diverse rhododendron pollinator communities, and that there is an urgent need for us humans to support these pollinator communities: by making small changes in how we manage our home gardens, and by taking the time to get distracted, even by places as plain and humble as powerline cuts, we too can contribute to the conservation of pollinator biodiversity.

As observed by polymath and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.”

Read the original publication showing butterfly wing pollination of flame azalea:

Epps MJ, SE Allison and LM Wolfe (2015) Reproduction in Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum, Ericaceae): A Rare Case of Insect Wing Pollination. American Naturalist 186: 294-301. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26655157/

In this episode we meet Dr. Anna Asatryan, a Senior Researcher at the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia focused on the documentation and conservation of Armenia’s rich native flora, including Rhododendron caucasicum. We learn how Dr. Asatryan became involved in the eco-tourism industry and fell in love with Rhododendron as she conducted her primary work documenting the Important Plant Areas of Armenia. Her efforts to fill the data gap on Rhododendron have inspired residents of Armenia’s small and cozy mountain villages to see their native species with different eyes, and we discover that something as un-assuming as sharing an illustrated postcard has the power to stimulate daily acts of conservation, reminding us that we are all one organism, one ecosystem. Following the wise words of Mother Teresa,

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

In this episode we meet Dr. Jean Burns and PhD candidate Yu Liu to learn about their research program focused on the science of gardening, they describe their recent findings on the important role of microbes that live in, on and around Rhododendron in determining plant growth and survival, they assure us that some microbes can actually be good for Rhododendrons, and we find out how the pure aesthetic joy of Rhododendron can lead to a deeper understanding of the basic biological process of plant-soil interactions that lead to species co-existence.

Now, that’s not so farfetched as it might seem, for as he sat alone in a garden, Isaac Newton in 1666, age 24, fell into a speculation on the power of gravity.

In this episode we meet Tom Clarke, Head Gardener at the world-renowned Exbury Gardens, we learn how Exbury founder, the late Lionel de Rothschild, turned to gardening amidst personal disappointments, cultivating his own bit of paradise where Rhododendrons are interwoven with the natural landscape to create an exotic floral tapestry. Tom shares how the Crown Jewels of the Exbury Rhododendron collections were forged through plant exploration, hybridization, and good old fashion business sense, and how the focus today is on meeting the challenges of climate change and providing public access to one of the most spectacular green spaces in the UK, reflecting the words of Ladybird Johnson, “Where flowers bloom, so does hope”.

Visit Exbury Gardens https://www.exbury.co.uk/

In this episode Juliana and Ryan meet Dr. Shweta Basnett, who shares stories from her PhD work on the pollination biology of Rhododendron in Sikkim Himalaya. We learn how she left her bed well-before dawn to trek up a mountainside and survey many different Rhododendron species and their pollinators, including sunbirds who start drinking the nectar as soon as the sunrays hit the ground, and how the difficult task of climbing a mountain day after day led to stunning views and a chance to expand from local to global Rhododendron studies as a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Maryland. Thus, illustrating the words of author William Arthur Ward, “Opportunities are like sunrises, if you wait too long, you’ll miss them.”