Plants grown from seed collected on expeditions often take several years to germinate, grow and mature into flowering sized specimens. Initially they are grown in the nursery and then given a place in the living collection. When flowering occurs specimens are taken to the Herbarium for comparison against type specimen material and published type descriptions.

After ten years this Rhododendron sp., collected in 2002 in the Gongshan of SW China, has produced flowers. The plants will be verified and a species allocated, it may even be a new species.

Rhododendron sp.

Rhododendron sp.

Rhododendron sp.