One of the primary non-rhododendron collections that we focus upon and feature in the RSBG is the Gaultheria collection. The gaultherias or “wintergreens’ are a widespread group of plants related to rhododendrons. They are called wintergreen because the species native in eastern North America, Gaultheria procumbens, was one of the few evergreens found growing in the forests that greeted the first colonists upon their arrival in New England. This species is the most commonly cultivated wintergreen due to its hardiness, its use as a dwarf evergreen groundcover and its large red berries. It is also the original source for the flavor wintergreen. On the Pacific Coast of North America, the most commonly encountered species is the ...

 Since my last blog in March of 2009, a great deal has taken place within the fenced-in confines of the 24-acre Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. If you are a member of our organization, you have some idea of what has been happening (and thus why it has taken me more than two years to get back to this blog). If you are not, well, it has been a wild ride (quick ten second summation: I am now Executive Director as well as Curator; we have a completely new staff other than Nursery Manager, Dennis Bottemiller (wow, was that an experience!); two amazing trips to China with several new species introductions; the largest expansion and re-planting of the garden since it was first moved on site combined with major tree thinning and ...