Rhododendron Show
Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2, 2026
47th annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show
Each year, the Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) partners with Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens to showcase some of the best rhodie specimens on the West Coast. The 46th annual John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show will be held at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. The juried show is quite possibly the largest in California, with a typical show displaying more than 800 entries and filling the big tent with cascades of color and fragrance.
The Rhododendron Show is free to attend and open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to hundreds of individual flower entries, there will be plants, bonsai, photos, floral arrangements, hourly plant raffles, and educational displays. A large selection of rhododendrons and other plants will be available for purchase in the big tent and at the Gardens' Nursery. Local growers and Noyo Chapter ARS members will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the best plants for your garden.
Regular admission rates apply to visit the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens during the show. The Gardens is home to one of the nation’s largest collections of rhododendrons—many hybridized on the Mendocino Coast—and they promise to fill the formal gardens and woodlands with riotous color. The Gardens’ Rhododendron Collection includes over 124 species and 315 taxa. More than 1,000 rhododendrons can be seen blooming throughout the Gardens from early spring until June!
Enter the Show!
Everyone is welcome to enter their best rhododendrons and azaleas for judging. Bring your best trusses to the big tent to the south end of the Gardens’ main parking lot on Thursday, April 30 between 3PM – 7PM and Friday, May 1, between 9AM – 12PM. Ribbons and trophies will be awarded to top entries in a wide range of categories. Check www.rhododendrons-mendocino.org for more information on entering.
The Details
-
The Rhododendron Show will be held rain or shine. It is free to attend and open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
-
Regular admission rates apply to visit the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens during the show.
-
No smoking anywhere in the Gardens.
-
Parking is free, but limited, plan to carpool.
-
The Rhododendron Show is an event where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event, you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry constitutes your consent to such photography, filming and/or recording and to any use in promotion of the Rhododendron Show, American Rhododendron Society, and the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens (MCBG).
Contact us
Please contact administration@gardenbythesea.org with any accessibility questions.
About the Noyo ARS
The Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society is a local non-profit organization. For over 45 years, their stated mission has been to promote the study and culture of rhododendrons and to stimulate interest in rhododendrons by any appropriate means, including the holding of frequent meetings of members and education of the public with Rhododendron shows. Our locale is also of utmost importance in preserving the rhododendron species. Rhododendrons species are native to Asia, Europe, and North America, so while they are not rare, the distribution is fairly specific. They thrive in our Mediterranean climate. There have been many hybridizers from the West Coast, and we are particularly proud of our Fort Bragg hybridizers, whose plants can be seen at MCBG.
Learn more and become a member: www.rhododendrons-mendocino.org
