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Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, rose; dendron, tree) is a genus of flowering plants
in the family Ericaceae. This is such a large genus that the plants are organised
by subgenus, section, subsection and alliance.
These subgenera can be basically divided into four groups:
- large leaf or elepidotes (without scales on the underside of their leaves)
- small leaf or lepidotes (with scales on the underside of their leaves)
- evergreen azaleas
- deciduous azaleas.
Purple rhododendron
Rhododendron is a very widely distributed genus, but a major concentration of diversity occurs in the Sino-Himalayan mountains of southeast Asia from central Nepal east to Yunnan and Sichuan, with other significant areas of diversity in the
mountains of Indo-China, Japan and
Taiwan. Several species also occur in North America and a few in Europe, and some tropical species occur
as far south as Borneo and New
Guinea. They grow well in acid
soil, and are noted for their many clusters of large trumpet-shaped blooms and their glossy oval leaves. Most rhododendrons
flower for only a brief period each year, but during that time they provide a stunning display of massed colour.
The largest natural rhododendron garden in the world is in Bakersville, North Carolina. The garden
is situated on the top of Roan Mountain state park.
The Rhododendron is the state flower of Washington and West Virginia.
There are several hundred cultivars of Rhododendron. These have been bred to
have larger or smaller flowers, and a vast array of petal colours. An example of a cultivar popular in the US is Rhododendron 'President Roosevelt'.
Rhododendrons have a toxin called grayanotoxin in their pollen and nectar. People have been known to become ill from eating honey made by
bees feeding on rhododendron and azalea flowers.
See also: azalea
External links
Purple rhododendron
Pink rhododendron
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