Just Coming Out

Today has been spent catching up on household chores and a little bit of gardening. It has been lovely warm without much wind and was really good day for gardening. Our purple Rhododendron is just coming out and should look good in a few days. We have two more yet to flower and then that is the end of all the wonderful colour in the garden.

Rhododendron is also the national flower of Nepal, and the state flower of Sikkim in India.

The name Rhododendron comes from the greek words "rodon" which means "rose" and "dendron" which means "tree", hence Rose Tree. Rhododendron flowers are usually produced in trusses. The family Ericacea, into which the genus Rhododendron falls, also includes heathers, mountain laurels, blueberries and cranberries as well as manzanita, trailing arbutus, madrone, huckleberry, kalmiopsis, sourwood, blueberries and a number of other genus. Rhododendrons are referred to as the King of Shrubs since they are regarded by many as the best flowering evergreen plants for the temperate landscape.

All the parts of Rhododendrons are dangerous, especially leaves, showing symptoms of Stomach irritation, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, convulsions, coma, death. Honey made from the nectar of Rhododendron flowers is also toxic and should not be consumed.
For more information on the Rhododendron.