Interview with Bob Tichenor on Plant Genetics in North Willamette Valley (Oregon)

[Intro] [music] A rhododendron that's in bloom on St. Patrick's Day and the petals are green?! Sure, you say it's a bit of blarney expounding on the talents of the leprechauns, but not according to Bob Tichenor, the scientist who developed this new rhodie at the North Willamette Experiment Station. Bob is an ornamental horticulturist, and he named the new rhododendron that blooms with green petals on St. Pat's Day, what else, but the Shamrock. Bob how did this come about? [Bob] Well, we were trying to cross develop a better yellow-flowered rhododendron, a low growing yellow rhododendron. So, we took two species of dwarf form (?) keiskei (?) and (??) and crossed them. They're both light yellows, and among the seedlings we end up with a green one. It turned out to propagate very well and it blooms at St. Patrick's Day. [Host] What are its characteristics? [Bob] Well, our oldest plant is about one foot high and about three foot across. After... It's about seven years old now. [Host] So, it's going to be a small rhododendron? [Bob] It's going to be a small rhododendron. Both species are small that we're used to as parents. [Host] And can you always count on it to bloom on St. Patrick's Day in western Oregon? [Bob] Well, so far

it's in bloom, there's different stages of bloom. [Host] What's the incentive for a plant breeder or an ornamental horticulturist, such as you, to launch into a production like this? What, what is the reason behind it? [Bob] Well, actually my basic reason I wanted to develop a yellow flower greenhouse azalea substitute. All the greenhouses azaleas are pink and white and purple-ish, and what have you, and I thought to be good to have a yellow one. [Host] So you come up green? [Bob] So, we came up green instead of yellow. We did have a yellow lot of it, but they didn't propagate as well as the green one does, and that's important commercially. [Host]What will happen now that this has been developed and you've tested it apparently, from what you say, for seven years. What is the next stage? Can the public now buy it? [Bob] No, they won't be able to buy it. Our first step is to release it to licensed nurserymen to increase and propagate. So, it probably be about two years before there be any plants available to the general public. [Host] Well when you come up green with the rhododendron on St. Patrick's Day the name is obvious,

Shamrock. But how is that name officially adopted? [Bob] OK, well the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain is the official registrar for rhododendron names. And we... There's also an American registrar and we checked to see whether that name had been used before and it has not been used before. Then the other step is we have to get approval from the Agricultural Experiment Station to name a new plant. But the breeder usually suggests the name and I suggested Shamrock knowing it was, the name was available and it was approved by the Committee of, the New Crops Committee of the Agricultural Experiment Station. [Host] Well, it seems a paradox that the Royal Horticultural Society in Great Britain is to give its official stamp of approval to the name Shamrock for the new rhododendron that blooms with green petals in honor of Ireland's patron saint. But, Bob Tichenor, the scientist who developed this at the North Willamette Experiment Station tells me that there are no political overtones in the world of ornamental horticulturists. I'm Bill Smith with the Oregon State University Extension Service.