Welcome to the North Island Rhododendron Society
View our October Newsletter
(Our newsletters are large pdf files and may take a little time to download)
The North Island Rhododendron Society, a Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, was founded in 1984 with the society’s charter received on October 20, 1984. There were 13 founding memberships, including our current members Gwen Wright and Judith Walker.
Membership interest grew almost as fast as the plants, and by the summer of 1985 there were 26 regular memberships and 4 associate memberships. In recent years, our annual membership has averaged around 80 regular with 6 associate members.
Our chapter is one of seven chapters of the ARS (American Rhododendron Society) District 1 in British Columbia, including four others on Vancouver Island and two more on the lower mainland. Vancouver Island is one of the few areas in Canada where most rhododendrons can flourish. If you’re new to rhododendrons, you’ll be amazed by the variety and beauty of these wonderful shrubs.
Watch a 19:18 (min:sec) video of Sue Grant and Garth Wedemire’s tour of the CVRG on May 8th (during Rhododendron Month in Courtenay).
To learn more, we welcome guests to contact one of our executive members for information about attending our meetings held at the Comox United Church hall. We also publish a monthly Newsletter (except July & August) which is full of information and is available on this website.