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Ericaceae
Great Rhododendron
Rhododendron maximum
caution.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Rhododendron
- Native to
- Eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 10-25 feet
- Sunlight
- partial shade to full shade
- Soil
- acidic, moist, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Great rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia and can form impenetrable thickets called 'rhododendron hells.'
- The leaves curl and droop in cold weather as a survival mechanism to reduce water loss.
- All parts of the rhododendron are toxic, and honey made from its nectar can cause 'mad honey' poisoning.
- Some great rhododendron specimens in the Appalachian Mountains are estimated to be over 100 years old.
- The genus name Rhododendron comes from Greek words meaning 'rose tree.'
Color meanings
0
danger
1
beware
2
elegance