- The name comes from Ancient Greek - rhódon, meaning "rose" and déndron, meaning "tree".
- There are about a thousand different species, including Azalea plants. The smallest grow to about 10–100 cm (4–40 in) tall, and the largest can reach 30m (100 ft). Some are evergreen and others are deciduous.
- They are mostly native to Asia but are also found in Appalachian Mountains of North America. People in Britain and Europe knew about them - Flemish botanist Charles l’Ecluse wrote about one species, the Alpine Rose (R. hirsutum) in 1656, but it was the 18th century before they were widely introduced in Britain. Some types are actually considered a pest in the UK because they out-compete native plants and are hard to control.
- It is the national flower of Nepal, the state flower of Kashmir and several states of India. Specific species are the state flowers of US states West Virginia and Washington.
- In Nepal, the flowers are eaten. They can be pickled, or made into juice or squash. The Nepalese add it to fish curry because they believe it will soften the fish bones. In the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, rhododendron flowers are used to make Wine.
- Some have been used in traditional medicine, and modern studies have found the plants may have anti-inflammatory properties and be good for the liver.
- Not all species are edible, though. Some are very toxic including Rhododendron ponticum and Rhododendron luteum (formerly Azalea pontica). Grazing animals need to be kept away from them. Grazing on Rhododendron could kill a Horse, although horses tend to avoid them if there are plenty of non-toxic plants around to eat. Even freshly made Honey from the flowers can make people ill. Symptoms include hallucinations and so the result is known as mad honey disease. There have been historical descriptions of soldiers in Ancient Greece eating honey deliberately left behind by their enemies and behaving oddly, and even dying.
- Perhaps this is why, in the language of flowers, the Rhododendron symbolises danger and to beware.
- In Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca, "blood red" rhododendrons are associated with the title character, possibly symbolising her poisonous character.
- A more positive representation of Rhododendrons appears in James Joyce's Ulysses, where they are connected with Leopold and Molly's early courtship: Molly says, "the sun shines for you he said the day we were lying among the rhododendrons on Howth head in the grey tweed suit and his straw hat the day I got him to propose to me".
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