Rhodedendrons.....

I'm not a great fan of Rhodedendrons. For most of the year their dark green leaves tend to shadow everything out so nothing survives underneath them. They spread quickly as well. They were brought by Victorian plant collectors from the Himalayas and the mountains of China. They were grown on the estates of the rich but have escaped into the countryside where they have found the climate to their liking. They have become a weed on a massive scale crowding out native plants. In some parts of the country they are trying to eradicate them.

But for about two weeks they are things of beauty when they flower. I loved the colour of this peach/apricot variety.