Vireya Rhododendrons go to prove the saying, "what's old is new again." Not only had I never seen one before, but no one else I contacted seemed to know the plant. The tag merely read: Tropical Rhododendron.

The first Vireya Rhododendron was described in 1822 by William Jack from plants collected on Mt. Bengkoh in Sumatra. The first live Vireyas were introduced to England in 1845 by Thomas Lobb working for the Veitch Nursery. The final years of the 19th century were the peak of the Vireyas' popularity, almost 300 species discovered and 500 hybrids created. But like many exotic plants, most of the hybrids were lost to horticulture when greenhouses could not be heated during World War I.

Vireya Rhododendrons share a number of characteristics and history with my favorites, the Nepenthes. Both are rainforest plants native to Southeast Asia and Oceania ranging from warm Ks to cool montane forests. Many species are epiphytic and prefer rainwater. Most were introduced to the "western world" by collectors working for Veitch Nursery and many were lost during WWI.

To learn more about Vireya Rhododendrons, click on the link:

http://www.vireya.net/index.htm