Spontaneous regeneration of rhododendron plants: first evidence from Lithuania

The spontaneous seedlings of Rhododendron luteum Sweet and Rhododendron calendulaceum (Michx.) Torr., Rhododendron maximum L., and Rhododendron japonicum Suringer were documented in Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University in 2006. More seedlings of these four rhododendron species were observed in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2010, altogether with aforementioned species, seedlings of Rhododendron dauricum L., Rhododendron schlippenbachii Maxim. and Rhododendron minus Michx were observed. The assessment of climatic conditions suggests that the self-regeneration of rhododendron genus plants was possibly provoked by global climate change – warmer winters and increased amount of precipitation in summers.