Rhododendrons, due to the different cultivation conditions and hobbies of each region, form their own common varieties. Many old varieties, especially small flowers and single-petals, have long been eliminated in the folk, or have been rarely cultivated, so there are only more than 100 kinds of widespread cultivation at present, of which compound petals account for more than 70%. In the process of the evolution and development of varieties, the saying of "eight kinds" of cuckoos that has been circulating is said to have come from Japan. It is said that there are eight varieties of rhododendrons that have gained universal love and were immediately introduced to China.
To this day, there are already eight old, new eight or special eight. The early "old eight kinds" were often represented by: Sai Peony, White Peony, Crown, Four Sea Waves, Rich Gui Ji, Fairy Dance, Broken Moon, and Xiaoshan Jin. Later, some new excellent varieties were continuously cultivated in China. Therefore, people proposed the "new eight kinds" according to the customary eight names. Such as: cinnamon leaves, double red flowers, peanut leaves, wild lions, Antarctica, red coral, jade brocade, jade girl. In recent years, due to the improvement of cultivation technology, many new varieties have emerged, and people have been called "special eight species". They are represented by: the Five Jewels, the White Wisdom, the Pink Heavenly Hui, the Sunset, the Kagura Song, the Pink Five Treasures, the Asaka, and the Red Five Treasures. The Five Jewels variety is highlighted. The representative varieties in the excellent varieties in the north are introduced to everyone for the reference of flower lovers.
【Four Sea Waves】 Also known as Beauty Hibiscus, one of the famous varieties. The center of the leaf is the widest part, forming sharp angles at both ends to the stalk and the tip, respectively, 2.5--4 cm long, forming a distinct diamond shape, which is unique to the rhododendron, which is best identified. Flowers have pure white called blue waves; pure red is called red waves; complex colors are called flowers and waves. The petals are deep in the outer wheel, more than 10 cm in diameter, and the petals are clustered in the center of the corolla, opening in March-April, and the flowering period is above one month. The wrinkled petals, like the waves of the sea, are unique among azaleas. The flowers are inlaid with silver and red petals, sprinkled with white in powder, and the glitter is red, which is intoxicating. Another kind of pink complex color, the petals are wide through the red stripe, called Ruyibo, is another budding variety, which looks more chic. The four seas wave like humidity, the air is dry and easy to fall leaves, avoid thick fertilizer, through the careful cultivation and management of Shu Bud, the flowers can bloom up to more than 13 cm. Sihai wave was introduced to the northeast by Western Europe in the 1940s, and was one of the earliest introduced varieties. To this day, it is still loved by the masses.
【Cinnamon leaves】 Originally known as twelve B weight. The leaf shape is narrow and long, and the leaves are severely twisted, much like the leaf shape of the cinnamon tree, so it is named cinnamon leaf, and the original name is little known. Its leaf shape is unique, the leaves are well-known, the flowers are dark peach red, multi-layered petals, wrinkled and stretched, with a diameter of more than 10 cm, which is different from other varieties: the sun color does not recede, the flowers do not fall, and the flowering period is long. If the room temperature is below 10 °C, the flowering period can be maintained above 60 days. This kind of cuttings take root early, develop quickly, and are good for cultivation. Because of the large flowers, long flowering period, long flower color, easy to cultivate and manage, it can be called a treasure in rhododendrons.
【Pink Tianhui】 Alias Fengnian, it is one of the five jewels. The leaves are ovate or ovate, dark green in color, and the veins are sunken. The edges of the petals are inlaid with white, and those with red inside and purple throat are called flower Tianhui; those who are pure powder are called pink Tianhui, but the two are collectively called pink Tianhui. The flowers are multi-layered, dilated in shape, and the corolla is large and heavy, resembling a peony. Intuitively free of pistils, this is a distinctive feature of the Five Jewels system. If carefully managed, the diameter of this flower can reach more than 15 cm, so it is known as the "King of Rhododendrons" and the king of pink rhododendrons.
【Five Treasures】 Referred to as the Five Treasures, it is an excellent strain among the rhododendrons. The leaves are ovate, short-pointed, thick in texture, intensely green in color, and the veins are sunken. The petals are multi-layered, large in size, above 10 cm in diameter, slightly wrinkled at the edges, and diverse in flower colors. The real five jewels have budding characteristics, the flowers in the juvenile period (2--3 years) are white, and gradually evolve into white sprinkler red bars, which are complex colors, which is the main characteristic performance of the basic flower color of the five jewels. If there is no complex color in the old age, it is not the five jewels, but should be the daytime wisdom. When the plant grows to 4-5 years old, it begins to mutate. The main varieties of variation are: pure red called red five treasures, pink called pink five treasures; pink complex color is hua Tianhui; pure white, green and white called daytime hui and green peony; light red called sunset and kagura song, etc., forming the five treasure beads system. To distinguish whether it belongs to the Five Jewels family, not only look at its flower shape, but also focus on the shortened pistils located at the bottom. Plants that have been budding for many years, when flowering on the same plant, in addition to having their base color flowers, on several branches, at the same time, pure red, pure pink, pink and other colors of flowers, and can continue to open multi-colored flowers over the years, constantly enriching new colors, it is really colorful, delicate and charming, so it is called the jewel of rhododendron. This strain not only has large and gorgeous flowers, but also has a very high survival rate of cuttings, strong roots, fattening, fast growth and development, and strong adaptability. Five years after cuttings, the crown can reach more than 30 cm.
【Aurora】 Also known as the Eight Treasures Hibiscus, it is one of the rich and noble Ji strains. The leaves are ovate, slightly blunt at the tip, thick and dark green in texture, and the veins are clear. The flower is on top of two layers of petals. Semi-dilated, resembling a heavy-petaled hibiscus or hibiscus, above 8 cm in diameter. In addition to maintaining the characteristics of rich and noble meat powder, the petals are sprinkled with dark stripes, which appear red and brilliant, bright and dazzling. The quality of this variety is quite similar to that of the Five Jewels, and it is a unique product in the polychromatic system.
【Wild Lion】 also known as Red Flag Exhibition. The leaves are oblong oval, the tip is rounded and blunt, the adult leaves are 2.5-3 cm long, and the leaf morphology resembles red coral. The flowers are funnel-shaped, the petal margins are rolled inward, and the heart has broken petals to form a globulus, and mismanagement is prone to semi-heavy petals. The corolla is 6--8 cm, delicate due to the twists and turns of the lace, intertwined inside and outside, like an irregular lion's head, so it is called the wild lion. Some people are mistakenly called yellow lions. In fact, the flowers are dark vermilion, looking red in the yellow, red in the yellow, hidden in the red, red, yellow, black intersection, under the light, the heart flashes with a bright red light, showing a bright and dazzling ink vermilion. Everyone says that coral is beautiful, it is more beautiful than coral. Its flower type and flower color are characteristic in the red series, and the unparalleled beauty of the flowers has become one of the famous varieties. Wild lions are good at breeding and tend to be extensive in management.
【Green Peony】 is one of the perverted varieties of the Five Jewels. The leaves are ovate, short-pointed, thick, with clear veins, and morphological characteristics similar to the Five Jewels. The corolla is very large, multi-layered petals, the outer petals are pure white, the lower part of the inner petals is obviously bean green, the deeper the green is to the base, and the throat is very green, so it is called green peony. The décor is chic and elegant. The daytime wisdom that distinguishes it from the same strain is a white flower color, a semi-green flower color, and the pistils are not visible, which is clear at a glance. Green peony is a typical variety in the white line, flowering for more than one month. The Five Jewels system is not only spectacular in flower appearance, but also has a thick root system, prefers fat, is good at reproduction, grows fast, forms early, and is widely loved by people. It is one of the most popular varieties.
【Jade Jade Brocade】 The leaves are ovate, the tip is round and blunt, and the texture is thick and shiny. The leaf surface is often faintly yellow and green. The flowers are large and flattened, about 12 cm in diameter, with 2 layers of petals. The main color of the flower is light orange pink, and the petals are curved and set with white edges, which is a complex-colored flower. Close-up observation, the petal base is white, the cloth has a clear bright red network, from a distance to give people a sense of pink non-powder, powder lined with yellow visual sense, appearing brilliant color, the flower posture is healthy. Fengming brocade is similar in color to its flowers, but the flowers are smaller than them; the pink tianhui flowers are larger than it, but they do not have their color. Therefore, it has become a unique variety in the powder system, and everyone loves it. Jade jade brocade flowering period is earlier, the flower blooms about a month, easy to reproduce, fast growth, people in order to see the flower early, more use of grafting technology, to increase the cultivation of large plants.
【Toad Peony】 Formerly known as Hanbai peony, referred to as toad. The large corolla, multi-layered petals, shaped like a peony, hence the name. After the variety was planted, the hanbai harmonic toad was widely circulated, and it was once listed as a treasure and became famous. The leaves are ovate or inverted ovate, with a blunt tip, 1.5-2.5 cm long, and the leaves are smaller than other medium-leaf varieties. The flowers are dark red, large and flattened, the flower color is pure and delicate, the crown diameter is more than 10 cm, which is more than the famous big red jade girl flower color, red and purple, slightly lighter than the purple and red cold peony flower color, which is the unique flower color of the red rhododendron. The blooming period is as early as March, and in late autumn and early winter, the top of the plant often blooms freshly, and then overwinters as the temperature drops, tempting you to appreciate and miss it. Temperature adaptation can also continue to open. Like a collection of fangs, some of them are more brilliant and magnificent. Although the flowers are beautiful, the cultivation management is different from others, and the leaves are brownish-purple and aging after being exposed to the hot sun, giving people recognition characteristics. Heavy cases hinder growth. Therefore, outdoors, special shade (rare sunlight) should be provided. In addition, the growth is slower, love squatting pots, breeding is slower, but grafting is an effective way to accelerate the cultivation of this variety, which has been popular in the folk for many years.
【Crown】 Alias Crown, is one of the first eight species introduced. The leaves are ovate and short-pointed, similar to the leaf shapes of FuGuiji, Fairy Dance, and Pink Tianhui, but the leaf tips are slightly sharper, and the leaf color and veins are different. Crown leaves are often grassy green, with slightly thinner leaves, veined leaf surface gloss, and the tip of the leaf is slightly reddish and pale green. The leaves of fairy dance and rich and noble ji are dark green, the fat feet are dark green, and the leaf veins appear slightly worse than the crown. The flower is medium-sized, side wave knots, snow white petal edges inlaid with zigzag red bands, 0.5--1 cm wide, the throat is very green, symbolizing the rainbow of blue sky and white sun, so it is also known as the rainbow after the rain, ranking in the complex color system. The crown is unique in the multicolor system and has always won universal praise. The Beijing area cherishes it and has always been listed as a good cuckoo. Among the crown bud varieties, the pure red one is called Akitsu Prefecture, also known as the red crown; the pure white one is called splendid silk, also known as the white crown.
Crowns and ornamental, phoenix brocade, etc. have early flowering, long-term flowering habits. If they enter the house early in the autumn and leave the room late, the temperature is controlled between 12--20 ° C, the light is sufficient, fertilizer, water, management to keep up, can start from the end of autumn, and continue to open to July of the next year, so some people call them four seasons of cranes.
In fact, there are different theories about the eight kinds, there are many opinions, and some people have listed the purple phoenix Chaoyang and Jinfeng in the old eight kinds, which is not absolutely impossible. It should be said that the old eight were introduced in the 1940s, the new 8 were produced in the 1960s, and the special eight appeared in the 1970s. Although there are too many new hybrid varieties today, the old flower keepers still continue the customary name of "eight species", and there is no specific meaning and unified standard. Each place has its own excellent varieties, and the content of the "eight kinds" is different, but it is certain that the name of "eight kinds" is the excellent varieties of workers that people have elected in different historical periods, and have high ornamental value.
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