The Ubiquitous Rhododendron

Day 225: At this time of year, it may seem like every yard in western Washington has at least one rhododendron in it: lavender, purple, red, white, yellow, orange, any shade of pink imaginable. Most are maintained at heights of six to eight feet, but it's not uncommon to see an old, established plant 15 feet tall or more. There's no mystery to the rhododendron's popularity in our damp climate. It is evergreen, holding its leathery leaves throughout the winter. In its original pinkish-white form, it's native to the area. Admittedly, the showy colours are garden cultivars. No one plants the native. But walk through the lowlands of the western Olympic Peninsula, and you'll be surrounded by Rhododendron macrophyllum. Less showy is R. albiflorum, a bushy plant with leaves similar to but somewhat larger than those of blue huckleberry. True to its scientific name, its smaller, less abundant flowers are white or whitish-yellow. and are trumpet-shaped. You probably wouldn't recognize it as a rhody if you were unfamiliar with it. Oh, and by the way...if you say "rho-do-den-DRUM" in my presence, I will whop you upside the head with a stick.