Rhododendron maximum in Upper New England

On Saturday, February 21, at 2 p.m., the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will at the Live Oak Senior Center, 1777 Capitola Road, Santa Cruz be having a program on Rhododendron maximum in Upper New England. In the program, John Goolsby will inform us of a trip which took place from July 2 to July 13, 2015 in the rhododendron areas of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Featured will be the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and the Harvey Butler Rhododendron Sanctuary in Maine: and Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve, and the Rhododendron State Park in New Hampshire.

http://www.mainegardens.org
http://www.newfs.org/visit/sanctuaries/harvey-butler-rhododendron-sanctuary-springvale-me.html
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newhampshire/placesweprotect/manchester-cedar-swamp-preserve.xml
http://www.nhstateparks.org/explore/state-parks/rhododendron-state-park.aspx
It is thought that the first deliberate hybrid was made by Michael Waterer in 1810 when he crossed Rhododendron maximum, which is native even into Canada, and Rhododendron catawbiense, from the western mountains of North Carolina.
http://hootowlhollow.blogspot.com/2010/12/rhododendrons-history.html
Up to the present Rhododendron maximum has been used in hybridizing in order to give hybrid rhododendrons cold hardiness.
Having an idea as to how Rhododendron maximum grows in its native habitat can give you an indication as to how rhododendrons can grow in your garden.
http://www.nanps.org/index.php/gardening/native-plants-to-know/118-rhododendron-maximum-rosebay-rhododendron-5-3
http://extension.missouri.edu/phelps/documents/Horticulture_News/Rhododendrons.pdf
http://www.nativeplant.org/rhododendron.html
http://www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/specmax.htm