365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Friday, June 17, 2022
Obligatory Rhododendron
Day 247: When you are a homeowner in western Washington, it is almost obligatory that you plant a rhododendron in your yard. After all, the shrub is our state flower. The large-flowered native variety R. macrophyllum carries masses of pinkish-white blooms resembling those of the commercial cultivars, but most people are unaware that there are species with smaller white or cream flowers, and even one known as "False Huckleberry" which has small bell-shaped blossoms. In all, there are six native Rhododendrons, only one of which looks like the ones you see in peoples' yards. That said, the commercial plants do very well here, growing quickly into large bushes, at least in areas where the deer and elk don't keep them pruned back. This is the first year since I planted mine that Bambi has allowed it to bloom.
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