Rhododendron arboreum becomes a small tree; widespread in India and Southeast Asia. Photographs courtesy Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
Like many public gardens, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has been built through the devotion and hard work of people who love plants and gardens. The garden has been particularly fortunate in having so many outstanding rhododendron enthusiasts and experts to help guide the development of this forty-six-year-old garden in Fort Bragg, California.
Northern California has been home to rhododendrons since the Paleogene era, sixty-five to twenty-four million years ago. That’s about how long our native species (Rhododendron macrophyllum and R. occidentale) have been growing on our shores, according to fossil records. It’s doubtful that the individuals planting San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park in its early years were aware of the rhododendron’s long history on these shores, but their introductions from other parts of the world thrived in the cool, humid climate of the park. Some seven kinds were in the park in 1887; that number had increased to 170 by 1924.
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