Pinxter Flowers in Only Fifteen Years!

We go way back with pinxters, Rhododendron nudiflorum.  When we first bought the land before Ed was retired, we searched everywhere looking for pinxters.  Alas there were none here.  This is a wild native plant that Ed has always wanted to grow.  It was Pat who took Ed to a place where they flourished, so he could dig some small plants.  He planted them in the back along the edge of the woods.  We watched them for years.  They didn't die, but they didn't grow either.  Perhaps it was too dry or too shady in any case the plants were never happy.  Four years ago we purchased a pinxter bush at  Catskill Native Nursery.  They said the plant they had was closely  related to the native pinxter.  We planted it in this spot inside the stone walls.  Even with winter snow cover it died.   Three years ago Ed went back and dug up one of the plants that was languishing in the dry woods and replaced the dead shrub.  This spring there were buds.  Finally we have flowers!   It's hard to express the excitement we feel looking at these beautiful flowers after all this time.  Think how delighted this plant must be!

I realize that most of the flowers are still buds.  Perhaps in a few days the flowers would be more impressive, but 15 years is long enough to wait.  We have at least four flowers open now!

Feast your eyes on a precious pinxter flower.  If you were here you could experience its subtle fragrance.  I don't know how long the flowers will last, but we will enjoy every minute.  When Ed gets a chance two other bushes will be moved.  After fifteen years, they deserve their chance to bloom too!