Her Majesty
Is there a flower more beautiful than the Rhododendron?
More prolific and enduring?
More brilliant in color and hue?
I wouldn’t know.
A jewel of nature; a dominance in my world.
Regal to the eye, joy to the soul, magnificently staged–
Her Majesty the Rhododendron.
I do know.
-p.o.martig
The Rhododendron (macrophylleum) is the state flower/tree of Washington and the national flower of Nepal where it is considered a delicacy to the palate and savored for its sour taste. The flower is pickled and can be stored for months. (I bet you knew that!)
Rhododendrons are a woody evergreen/deciduous plant with over 1000 different species covering various parts of the world. In the Pacific North West and Canada, the Rhododendron macrophylleum is predominant. It can grow upwards to 30 ft.
What gives these bounteous plants their charm and interest are their prolific and colorful flowers. Most clusters hold five or more flowers including the colored corolla. The petals come in variegated shades of pink, red, white and orange. The leaves can endure for 2-3 years before shedding and, the mature tree can last for decades.
Rhododendrons are social plants and like to promulgate along side roads and deforested wild lands. They grow quickly but thrive in cool and misty climates and are widely scattered along the Cascade Ranges and Coastal Mountains.
Welcome To Paradise
I am fortunate to own over 50 rhododendron tress and bushes in a variety of species and colors which bloom at different times during the spring months; and some, half a tree at a time: the vibrant pallet to nature’s masterpiece.
Pictured below are a few of my prolific rhododendrons and close-ups of their sumptuous clusters.
Red and variegated shades of pink are the most prolific clusters adorning our rhododendrons. Besides these shades, I also have sprinklings of purple, yellow, tangerine, and white rhododendron clusters throughout the property.
Rhododendrons draw swarms of honey bees and lots of hummingbirds; an industrious insect and bird. (More on the honey bee at the end of this piece and on the smallest bird in the world, in the following wannathink.com post.)
The Arduous Clean Up
These gorgeous rhododendrons do have a few drawbacks. First, they are messy! Once their profusion of flowers are through for the year; the petals cascade to the ground forming a thick blanket of color, smothering the ground below them. It takes me a week just to clean up the flowers along the driveway, terraces and banks of the many rhododendrons and azaleas adorning the property.
Second, rhododendrons are indiscriminate on where they propagate, so eager are they to survive. Below are a couple of pictures of rhododendron trees growing out two sides of the same old cedar stump. I don’t know whether to cut them down or display their freakish growth.
Third, after the flowers are spent for the season, you should “deadhead” any remaining clusters. This is not an easy chore as there are hundreds of clusters on any given tree and when they reach 10 ft and higher, impossible to get them all. It takes hours and hours of mindless work, but the results are a fresh and clean rhododendron.
Fourth, the honey bee! He and his family, while mild-mannered, still sting when you get too close to their gold mine of endless nectar. I have learned the hard way to stay clear of them as much as possible and that certain rhododendrons can cause honey bees to produce toxic honey and behave erratically!
But no matter the burden, my Rhododendrons are a joy and I look forward to their “eye candy” each and every spring.
20160504_142918.mp4 from Paulette Martig on Vimeo.
20160508_142038.mp4 from Paulette Martig on Vimeo.
1. http://rhodygarden.org/cms/
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