Rhododendrons along Gold Creek Road
It’s the end of May and coast rhododendrons, Washington’s state flower (Rhododendron macrophyllum), are in full bloom, showing off their attractive pink blossoms (see photo). Perhaps I should refer to them as “native” instead of “wild” rhododendrons, although one web site I consulted said they were imported from California rather than originating in the Evergreen State. Whichever modifier is used, they do quite well without any help from man. No one fertilizes them, prunes the old blossoms, or waters them during our hot dry summers.
Coast rhododendrons are found west of the Cascade Mountains growing naturally along the edges of forests and in clear-cuts and natural clearings. They thrive at sea level but can survive at elevations up to 4000 feet. Woodland areas near the Hood Canal are a particularly good place to see them. At maturity the plants are 6 to 8 feet high, but they can reach heights of 20 feet. With hundreds of varieties of rhododendrons available at nurseries, landscapers seldom use coast rhododendrons to decorate homes and commercial property. That’s fine with me, as I prefer to see them in their natural setting.
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