ABSTRACT
Cultivated rhododendrons are often grouped according to their use as landscape plant material and species and cvs forced as flowering potted plants. In the florist azalea, there may be one or more flower buds per terminal as contrasted with the single large terminal bud of the landscape rhododendrons. Azalea flower buds average 2 to 3 flowers each, while the rhododendron bud often contains 10 to 20 flowers. Azalea flowers are more funnel-shaped than rhododendron flowers, which tend to be more bell-shaped. Retardants were a key element in the schedules developed for budding and forcing rhododendrons. Using liners propagated the previous year, budded rhododendrons can be produced in a single growing season for flowering the next spring. Flowering in azalea and rhododendron may be divided into four periods with respect to environmental requirements. These are initiation, development to bud dormancy, overcoming bud dormancy, and forcing the bud to anthesis.
