These evergreen, spring-blooming
Rhododendron shrubs are members of the Heath Family (Ericaceae).
The species is Rhododendron
catawbiense. This species grows naturally in the southern
Appalachian mountains from Virginia through Georgia so these specimens
were planted here. To grow them successfully this far north of
their range they require some protection from harsh winter winds.
While the adult individuals we plant might survive well here, they do
not reproduce this far out of their range. Notice that there are
no seedlings in this woods in spite of the fact that these plants have
been here for approximately 30 years.
The Heath Family includes azaleas, heaths, heathers, blueberries,
mountain laurels, and several other ornamental plant groups. Most
members of this family require a rather acid soil with good drainage
and grow best in climates without extremes in temperature and with
substantial rainfall. A majority of rhododendrons bloom from
March through May with some varieties blooming as early as January or
as late as June or July.
More than a thousand species have been described in the genus Rhododendron. All azaleas are
rhododendrons! Many of our cultivated rhododendrons are derived
from Asian species, which grow in the foothills of the Himalayan
Mountains, western China, northern India, Burma, and Assam.
Others are derived from species native to Japan, Europe and eastern and
western North America. Rhododendron species are found in the wild
from the arctic regions to the tropics, spanning a wide range of
climates. In the United States, a large number of hybrids
and species flourish in the Pacific Northwest, especially between the
Cascades and the Pacific Ocean.
-- Margaret Puckett
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