My grandpa's old rhododendron finally bloomed after 8 years of waiting

I planted it from a cutting he gave me back in 2016 and every spring I'd just get leaves and more leaves with zero flowers. This year it put out these huge purple blooms out of nowhere and I nearly fell over. What's the longest you've waited for a plant to finally do its thing?

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robinp892mo ago

Eight years for some purple flowers seems like a total waste of space.

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simon_carr2mo ago

@robinp89 eight years is nothing when you’re talking about a cutting from someone’s grandpa. I planted a magnolia I got from my dad’s yard and it did nothing but droop for six years before it suddenly put out a single flower. The wait is part of the payoff, especially when it’s tied to family. Your rhododendron story is exactly why people stick with these plants.

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