美国杜鹃协会 (American Rhododendron Society, ARS) 是一个面向杜鹃花属 (Rhododendron，含落叶性 azaleas) 爱好者的非营利性国际园艺组织，宗旨是促进公众对杜鹃花的兴趣、传播栽培知识并推动相关科学研究。协会出版物为创刊于 1947 年 4 月的《The Journal of the American Rhododendron Society》，最初以《Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society》形式发行；现行的季刊内容涵盖杜鹃花栽培、繁殖、杂交技术、公共与私人花园、植物肖像、伴生植物、野外采集、科学研究以及协会新闻与活动等主题。协会长期资助杜鹃花科研，颁发年度 Rhododendron of the Year 评选奖项，并以金质和银质奖章表彰对协会有突出贡献的会员。注册办公地址位于美国纽约州 Craryville (P.O. Box 43, Craryville, NY 12521)，协会总部以 “Office of the American Rhododendron Society” (简称 OARS) 为对外联络标识。
分会网络与会员服务
协会在全美和加拿大设有六十余个地方分会，按地理大区划分为西部、中部、东北部、东南部以及加拿大东西部五个版块，同时在丹麦、芬兰、苏格兰、荷兰和瑞典等国设有海外分会，覆盖锡金 (印度)、日本、韩国、澳大利亚、新西兰、巴西、法国、德国、拉脱维亚、波兰、俄罗斯、泰国和南非等地区的”无分会” (At-large) 国际会员也可远程参与。会员资格面向从初学者到资深种植者的各个水平，分七个等级：Student 10 美元（需提供学籍证明）、Digital Only Journal 40 美元、Print & Digital Journal 50 美元、Sustaining 75 美元、Sponsoring 150 美元、Commercial & Corporate 90 美元（含协会网站全页广告位与期刊广告费 5% 折扣）以及一次性缴清的 Life Member 1000 美元（覆盖同一户两人）。所有会员均可收到季刊、参加全国与区域性会议、参观公共与私人花园、参与种子交换、出席分会例会并以折扣价竞拍杜鹃花苗。
核心资源与活动
协会网站提供三大核心资源库。一是杜鹃花品种数据库，收录超过 1450 个 Rhododendron 亚属种及近 400 个 Tsutsusi 映山红亚属种条目的植物学分类、园林用途、栽培要点与选育者信息；二是杜鹃花照片库，含 2000 余张由会员和研究者提交的野外、园艺与杂交品种图片；三是植物种植与护理指南 (Plant Culture and Care Guide)，由 J. Harold Clark 于 1967 年编写，1995 年由 Sandra McDonald 博士修订，2015 年再由 Don Brophy、Steve Henning、Dick Jones 和 Bob Weissman 联合更新，覆盖植物学分类、景观应用、选苗、土壤条件、灌溉、施肥、修剪与残花去除、繁殖与杂交、移栽以及病虫害防治等十一个章节。每年一度的种子交换 (ARS Seed Exchange) 是协会最具特色的活动，种子由全球会员收集并捐赠，2026 年度种子交换于 3 月 7 日之前仅限会员订购，3 月 7 日之后向公众开放。
出版物与媒体
协会除主刊《The Journal of the American Rhododendron Society》季刊外，还维护一个名为”For the Love of Rhododendron”的播客系列，记录会员如何偶然接触杜鹃花这一植物的过程，分享他们的种植故事与心得，旨在启发新晋爱好者开启属于自己的杜鹃花栽培之旅。播客索引页列出了所有可访问的剧集链接。协会同时维护一份面向年轻一代 (Next Gen) 的播客专题，集中展现 35 岁以下会员的活动与观点。
支持与合作
协会运营资金主要来自会费、捐赠和遗产赠与，捐助渠道常年开放，捐赠人可通过 “Help Support the ARS” 页面查询详细方式。协会亦维护一个杜鹃花苗圃查询器 (Rhododendron Nursery Finder)，收录北美地区销售杜鹃花与映山红苗木的专业苗圃，公众可通过地理区域、植物类型或专长字段检索合适的供应商。协会出版的 Rhododendron International 系列 (目前已至第九卷) 收录 2025 年由 Rhododendron Research Network 主办的国际研讨会的论文摘要，展示了全球杜鹃花研究的广度和地理覆盖范围，研究者可通过协会官网访问历年的卷宗档案。
官网：https://www.rhododendron.org/
The American Rhododendron Society (ARS) is a nonprofit international horticultural organization dedicated to promoting interest in the genus Rhododendron (including deciduous azaleas), disseminating cultivation knowledge, and supporting scientific research. Its quarterly publication, The Journal of the American Rhododendron Society, was first established in April 1947 as the Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society. The journal covers rhododendron culture, propagation, hybridization, public and private gardens, plant portraits, companion plants, plant hunting explorations, scientific research, and Society news. The ARS funds rhododendron research, presents annual Rhododendron of the Year awards, and grants gold and silver medals to members for outstanding service. The Society’s administrative office, operating under the trade name Office of the American Rhododendron Society (OARS), is based at P.O. Box 43, Craryville, NY 12521, United States.
Chapter Network and Membership
ARS maintains more than sixty chapters across the United States and Canada, organized into five regional groups (Western, Mid-, Northeastern, Southeastern, and Canadian East/West), with international chapters in Denmark, Finland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Sweden. At-large members reside in countries around the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, France, Germany, India (Sikkim), Japan, Korea, Latvia, Poland, Russia, South Africa, and Thailand. Membership is open to gardeners of all skill levels and is offered in seven categories: Student USD 10, Digital Only Journal USD 40, Print and Digital Journal USD 50, Sustaining USD 75, Sponsoring USD 150, Commercial and Corporate USD 90 (which includes a full-page website listing and a 5 percent discount on Journal advertising rates), and Life Member USD 1,000 covering two persons in the same household.
Core Resources and Programs
Three core knowledge repositories anchor the Society’s public services. First, the Rhododendron and Azalea Cultivar Database documents more than 1,450 Rhododendron subgenus species and close to 400 Tsutsusi subgenus azalea entries with botanical classification, landscape use, cultivation guidance, and hybridizer notes. Second, a photo library containing more than 2,000 member-contributed images of wild, garden, and hybrid plants. Third, the Plant Culture and Care Guide, originally authored by J. Harold Clark in 1967, revised by Dr. Sandra McDonald in 1995, and updated again in 2015 by Don Brophy, Steve Henning, Dick Jones, and Bob Weissman, covering eleven topics from botanical classification through pest and disease management. The annual ARS Seed Exchange allows members worldwide to donate and order seed; in the 2026 cycle, member-only ordering closes on March 7, after which the catalog opens to the general public.
Publications and Media
In addition to the quarterly Journal, the Society produces the For the Love of Rhododendron audio podcast, in which members describe the unexpected paths that led them to rhododendrons, offering stories and practical advice intended to encourage newcomers. A separate Next Generation podcast focuses on Society members under the age of 35 and their activities, perspectives, and contributions to rhododendron horticulture.
Support and Partnerships
The Society is funded primarily through membership dues, donations, and bequests; a dedicated Help Support the ARS page lists current giving options. A Rhododendron Nursery Finder maintained by the ARS indexes specialty nurseries across North America that offer rhododendrons and azaleas, searchable by region, plant type, and specialization. The Society’s Rhododendron International monograph series, of which Volume 9 was published in conjunction with the 2025 convention organized by the Rhododendron Research Network, presents abstracts from international research projects and archives of all previous volumes are accessible through the ARS website.
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