History:
The genus Rhododendron is grouped into the heath family, Ericaceae which contains many acid soil loving species. This genus also contains shrubs commonly called azaleas within its 800 Rhododendron species and thousands of hybrids. The species are native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere but are most abundant in the Himalayas and other mountains of Asia. This hybrid is derived from three different plants. The first parent was the result of a cross between the hybrid F. C. Puddlei and the species R. wardii. R. wardii is native to Yunnan Province, China, and collected by Frank Kingdon-Ward, then introduced by him so named in 1913. The other parent is Mrs. Betty Robinson. Virginia Richards was introduced in 1962.
Lore:
Rhododendron was named and classified by Linnaeus who named it from the Greek for rose tree.