huang hybrid azaleas || background | descriptions
Adapted by permission from Vines Horticulture Gardens, 1990 Reference Guide and Catalog, published by Pete Vines.
These [evergreen Huang] hybrids are the result of an extensive hybridizing effort in China by Mr. Huang who is now deceased. Little is known of this hybrid group primarily because of Mr. Huang’s demise and as a result of the destruction of most of his records and stock plants during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, a period during which Mr. Huang was forced to terminate his work on azaleas and toil as a laborer on a collective farm. Dr. G. F. Drake obtained cuttings of the hybrids from the Shanghai Botanical Garden in 1982 and introduced them in the United States for further evaluation. None of the three varieties known to have been used as parents have, to my knowledge, been introduced into the United States. I acquired approximately 40 varieties in 1983 and after three years of evaluation, became very excited with many of the cultivars. In fact, so much so, that I acquired another 80 cultivars in 1987.
Although many varieties have not been grown for sufficient time to allow a comprehensive evaluation, and the favorable winter conditions during the past two years have precluded adequate cold hardiness evaluation, it has become abundantly clear to me that they represent a major hybridizing effort and will ultimately come to include some of the “best 100” azaleas known to the Western world. The range of plant characteristics is very broad; including both small and very large blooms, small and extremely large foliage, plants with varying growth characteristics, and all major bloom forms. All cultivars were introduced without names, using a four digit numerical code (2-1-62 as an example). The code translates as follows:
First Digit – bloom time in Shanghai [bloom times shown below are in Springfield, Virginia] 1 Early April 2 Late April 3 Mid May 4 June Second Digit – type and size of bloom 1 Large Single 2 Medium Single 3 Small Single [“Single” = “sgl”] 4 Large Hose in Hose 5 Medium Hose in Hose 6 Small Hose in Hose [“Hose in Hose” = “hih”] 7 Double [“dbl”], Semi-Double [“sdb”], and irregular Hose in Hose [“ihh”] Third and Fourth Digit – color of bloom 11-19 White 21-29 Light Pink 31-39 Pink 41-49 Lavender 51-59 Rosy/Purple-Red 61-69 Red 71-89 Bi-Color or Variegated
Number Width(”) Color; Variation Type Description; Notes Time Leaves(”) Plant h x w Hardy(°F) 1-1-11 2 1/2-3 white; strong yellow green blotch sgl 2-3 to head, floriferous; nice 25 April 1-2-41 2 lavender sgl late April 1-3-23 2 1/2 light pink; rosy-red blotch sgl 22 April 1-3-32 2 1/2-3 deep purple; strong red blotch sgl 2 to head 27 April large 1-3-52 1 1/2-2 strong purplish red sgl 3 to head, star-shaped bloom 25 April 1-3-62 2 red sgl mid April 1-3-71 1 1/2 white; few pink stripes, sectors sgl 2 to head 23 April 1-3-72 1 1/2 bi-color; light pink center, dark yellow pink margins, slight blush sgl 3-4 to head, floriferous; showy 4 May -5 1-5-12 2 1/2-3 white hih mid April 1-5-22 2 1/2-3 light pink hih mid April 1-5-51 2 rosy red hih 2 to head 20 April 1-6-11 2 white; chartreuse blotch hih 2 to head 29 April nice compact habit 1-6-51 1 1/2 strong purplish red hih 2-3 to head 25 April 1-6-61 1 1/2-2 red hih mid April 2-1-21 3 light pink sgl early May large (3 x 1 1/4) 2-1-22* 3 1/4 white to blush pink; strong yellow green blotch, peach-pink ridge in middle of each lobe sgl very heavy petal substance, beautiful form; exceptional 15 May 2 x 4.5 feet in 24 years 0 2-1-62 4-5 dark scarlet-red; dark red blush on top three petals sgl 2 to head; very nice 26 April large (4 x 1 1/4) broad spreading 0 to -5 2-2-72 2 1/2-3 bi-color early May large (3 x 1 1/4) 2-4-74 3-3 1/2 bi-color hih 1 May 2-5-23 2 1/2 bi-color; purplish-pink margin, light pink center sgl/sdb very long lasting bloom 1 June 3 x 3 feet -5 2-5-41 2-2 1/2 lavender; light purple and white markings, outer petals blush-pink, gives bi-color appearance hih 2-3 to head, floriferous; nice 18 May 24 x 35 inches -10 2-5-44 2 lavender-pink; purplish-red blotch hih 2 to head with imbricated lobes; nice 1 May 4 x 4 feet 2-5-65 2-2 1/2 salmon-pink hih 1 May nice compact 2-5-71 1 3/4 white; rosy-red stripes and sanding, occasional rose-red selfs hih 2-4 to head, very floriferous; nice 4 May 24 x 36 inches in 7 years -5 to -10 2-5-72 2-2 1/2 bi-color hih early May 2-6-31 1 1/2 pink hih 1 May 2-7-22 2-2 1/2 bi-color; light orchid-pink margin, white center sgl 2 to head with pointed lobes 22 May small compact, 3 x 3 feet 2-7-51 2 purplish pink hih/sdb 2-3 to head, floriferous; nice 1 May very nice compact habit 3-2-21 2 1/2 bi-color; reddish orange margin, light pink center sgl 3 to head, star-shaped bloom 20 May nice cascading, 12 x 30 inches in 7 years 3-2-72 2 variable white; orchid-pink stripes and sectors, some pink with white margins and few purplish-pink selfs floriferous 25 May 3-2-73 3 rosy-red; light pink streaks and sectors, occasional light pink bi-color sgl 2 to head, imbricated; nice 23 May 3-5-34 2-3 pink ihh 15 May 4 x 4 3-5-52 2 1/2 rosy-red hih 15 May 3-5-74 1 1/2 white; coral-pink stripes and sectors hih 1 May spreading and cascading habit, 24 x 36 Number Width(”) Color; Variation Type Description; Notes Time Leaves(”) Plant h x w Hardy(°F) 3-6-21 1 1/4 bi-color; rose margins, very light pink center hih 3 to head, floriferous; showy 3 May -5 3-7-22 2 – 2 1/2 light pink dbl 20 May 3-7-34 2 3/4 rosy-red dbl 2-3 to head, floriferous; nice 1 June 9 x 24 inches in 5 years -10 3-7-43 2 1/2 bi-color; hot pink margin, very light pink center dbl/sdb 2 to head 22 May 0 to -5 3-7-72 2 – 2 1/2 bi-color dbl 20 May narrow tapered 24 x 36 inches in 7 years 4-1-61 3 red sgl early June 4-1-75 3 bi-color sgl early June 4-2-31 2 1/2 pink sgl 2 to head 5 June 4-2-41 2 lavender sgl early June 4-2-62 2 3/4 bi-color; rosy-red margin, pink center sgl/sdb/dbl 1 June excellent compact habit 0 4-2-75 2 3/4 soft pink; purplish-red sectors, stripes and flakes, narrow white margin, dark rosy blush, purplish-red selfs; very fine plant sgl 6 lobes 10 June 20 x 36 -5 4-2-81 2 bi-color sgl early June 4-3-84 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 bi-color; orange red margin, pink center sgl 2 to head, star-shaped lobes; nices 1 June red and yellow in Fall 4-2-86 2 bi-color; purplish-pink margin, white center, light pink blotch 5 June 4-5-41 2 3/4 rose-lavender sgl early June superb compact, low growing 4-5-51 2 1/2 strong purplish red, red blotch sgl/hih very nice color, pointed lobes 20 May large (3 1/2 x 1 1/4) 4-6-12 1 3/4 white hih early June 4-6-71 1 3/4 bi-color hih early June 4-7-12 2 – 2 1/2 white dbl 10 June 4-7-13 3 1/2 purple; purplish-red blotch sgl 20 May large (3 1/2 x 1 1/4) 4-7-41 2 1/2 pinkish-lavender dbl 15 June 4-7-52 2 1/2 green throat sgl/ihh nice 28 May nice compact 4-7-53 2 purple; red blotch dbl 2 to head 1 June 30 x 36 4-7-58 2 1/2 rosy-purple dbl/sgl 1 June nice compact 4-7-59 3 – 3 1/2 pink dbl 25 May nice compact 4-7-64 2 1/2 red dbl 10 June 4-7-71 2 1/2 bi-color dbl 10 June 4-7-74 2 1/2 variable white; orchid-red sanding, sectors and and selfs dbl nice 1 June small compact, 24 x 36 4-7-77 2 1/2 bi-color dbl 8 June 4-7-78 2 1/2 bi-color dbl 13 June large (3 x 1 1/4) 4-7-81 2 1/2 white; purplish pink stripes, sectors and selfs hih/dbl petaloidy 27 May 24 x 36 -5 Number Width(”) Color; Variation Type Description; Notes Time Leaves(”) Plant h x w Hardy(°F) __________
* per a private communication from Pete Vines, 2-1-22 may be “one of the five best azaleas in the world”