Day 240: When people hear the name "Rhododendron," most likely an image of the shrubby ornamental varieties commonly used in landscaping will come to mind. However, there are over 1000 species of Rhododendron worldwide, and some may grow to heights of 100 feet or more. Washington's State Flower is the native pink Rhododendron (R. macrophyllum), similar in size and flower structure to the garden cultivars. It does not occur in Mount Rainier National Park, but at least three other native Rhododendrons grace our slopes: R. albiflorum, R. menziesii and R. groenlandicum. The latter (above) is also known as Labrador-tea or Bog Labrador-tea, and can be found in bogs and swamps at low to mid-elevations in western Washington. Its star-shaped white flowers are carried in terminal racemes, and it is not uncommon to find last year's spent seed capsules dangling beneath them. As the name suggests, it was widely used by Native peoples and early settlers in the northern regions as a tea, but the leaves contain alkaloids which may be toxic if ingested.
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