The new kurumes were introduced by the National Arboretum in two groups. The azaleas in this collection are from the first release in 1983 to George Harding. George Harding gave me the collection in 1988 and it was moved from Germantown,  Maryland to our garden in Chester, Virginia. The National Arboretum currently has 28 of the 52 released cultivars in a mass planting on the east side of the azalea collection facing the Capital Columns.

I wish to thank Ms. Barbara Bullock, Curator of Azaleas and Rhododendrons of the National Arboretum for the kind assistance she has given me.  And these pages would be much poorer in content and quality if it was not for the superb help from Mr. Don Hyatt.  Please go to the links and see his beautiful and informative site.  Thanks to you, Don! Don Hyatt's Garden
Also,  please go to this wonderful japanese site  Virtual Azaleas, Kurume Azalea, Japanese Native Azaleas  .

The following listing of the first release of the new kurumes is out of the excellent book Azaleas by Fred C. Galle, page 178. This is scanned from the book and the only changes have been a few number and spelling changes.

On the Origin of Kurume Azaleas
 For an excellent article on the origin of the Kurume Azaleas by Dr. Satoshi Yamaguchi please go to this site.
 Origin of Kurume azalea
 

RECENT  KURUME  HYBRID INTRODUCTIONS FROM JAPAN
 

The U.S.D.A. National Arboretum released 33 new Kurume hybrid azalea cultivars in the fall of 1983, to cooperating nurserymen and arboreta, for future distribution. Some 50 varieties were collected from two trips, 1976 and 1978 by Drs. John L. Creech, Frederick G. Meyer and Mr. Sylvester G. March from the Kurume Branch, Vegetable and Ornamental Research Station, Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. They are reported to be the finest Kurume Azaleas in Japan and should be available commercially in a few years. The balance of the collection should be released in the next year. Specific hardiness and individual plant habit is not available but the plants should be like other Kurume Hybrids. The flowers are single and the stamens are as long as the petals unless described differently.

The purpose of this web page is to locate and illustrate all the current existing cultivars of the new Kurumes.  Once all the cultivars are located, we hopefully will be able to get the plants and add their photos to this listing; then cuttings of these plants will also be made available.  Hopefully, all the new Kurume azaleas will be found and distributed.  The future of the gene pool of all azaleas depends on the collections of the individual collector.  These are some of the most beautiful of all azaleas and are quite hardy and easily grown.  But if they are not wide distributed they will over time disappear from this country.  Maybe some will survive in their native Japan, but it would be wonderful to give them a more secure future here also.  If you have any of the azaleas  listed on the "wanted" list below,  please email me.   That is the purpose of this endeavor:  to find and share the plants.  I am interested in putting up a page of sources for the new Kurumes.  If you are a nursery that handles any of these new Kurume azaleas,  please email me and we will add your information to  the page of availability information.    Together we can make certain these wonderful plants have a colorful,  long future.

If you have any of the missing cultivars, listed in red,  please email me so we may get cutting and add them to the collection. As they are found,  the listing will turn  from red to black and the name of the contributors will be added to the list. This way we can see the progress of the search.  Thanks for your help!
 
 

'Benikirin'               (NA 45442)
'Ezonishiki'             (NA 45415)
'Fujinosusono'        (NA 45439)
'Fukujyu'                (NA 45441)
'Hakuo Nishiki'       (NA 45436)
'Haru No Sato'        (NA 45435)
'Itsukushima'          (NA 45409)  Plant furnished by:   Bill Steele;   1055 E. Neil Ln.;   West Chester, Pa. 19382;     610-696-5042 He Has Plants of the New Kurume azaleas.  Contact him for information
'Izumikawa'            (NA 45407)
'Kokonoe'               (NA 45424)
'Kumoizuru'            (NA 45421)
'Matsunoyuki'         (NA 45444)
'Nishikitsukasa'       (NA 45434)
'Oogigasane'            (NA 45417)
'Oouchi Yama'        (NA 45416)
'Ryusagawa'            (NA 45448)
'Tamatebako'          (NA 45428)
'Tokonatsu'              (NA 45432)
Utsuriga'                  (NA 45412)
'Yomei Nishiki'        (NA 45446)
'Yoshi' Migatake'     (NA 45445)
 

  To see the long list of the new kurumes azaleas, click on:   NK_Long List
   

 To see the links to other azalea sites, click on: The Links
 
 

 Click here for a printable list of the new kurume azaleas:    Printable list
 (Remember to press "back"  to return to this page.)
 

If you have any further confirming,  rejecting or differing knowledge about these plants,  PLEASE email me your feelings.  I believe we can straighten up the identification of many azaleas with the use of the web.
Please send an email of corrections, complaints, praise or any other trash to:  dfsauer@gmail.com

©Copyright 2006