I was told by a fellow ARS member that 'Vulcan' is not hardy here in Southeast Michigan, but I had already bought the plant at Builders Square in Summer, 1998. The plant was severly wilted, and slightly mis-shapen, so I soaked it, and it recovered. When I planted it, I also put sticks between the branches to spread them out a bit, so they wouldn't all be pointing up. Well, the branches took to my training, and the plant has thrived ever since. I have had three seasons of flowers, the reddest of any rhododendron I have. The flowers are of such a good, bright, scarlet red, that the camera film seems to be on overload, since I can never duplicate the color in pictures. I had to doctor this photo with Adobe Photo DeluxeŽ to get the flowers to the right color.

'Vulcan' has been sold in large quantities around here at Kmart, Lowes, and Walmart, and for $6 or $7 it's well worth the chance. Mine is growing on the north side of the house, where many rhododendrons do very well for me. I also saw that someone's rhododendrons, visible from a main road around here, are very nice, about 4 or 5 feet tall, and very dense, covered with flowers, and two of them I suspect are 'Vulcan.' They must have been in the ground for several years, or they cost the owner about $120 each. I would guess that they have been hardy for that person for several years. Only time will tell me just how hardy 'Vulcan' is.

Parentage: 'Mars' x griersonianum

Hybridizer: Waterer.

Introduced: Waterer, Sons, and Crisp, exhibited 1938.

Registered:

Award of Merit, RHS/Wisley Trials, 1957.