Yellow Rhododendron

Image: © Jonathan Kington Taken: 12 May 2011

This yellow Rhododendron, surrounded by Bluebells, is growing in what were formal gardens on Greenway Bank Country Park. Rhododendron (from the Greek rhódon "rose", and déndron "tree) is a genus of over 1000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most of which produce showy flowers. They can vary in height from small shrubs of 10-100 centimetres right up to small trees, the largest of which is reputed to be 30 metres. They can also vary between being evergreen and deciduous. Some species especially Rhododendron ponticum in Ireland and the United Kingdom have become highly invasive as introduced plants, spreading in woodland areas replacing the natural understory. R. ponticum is very difficult to eradicate, as its roots can make new shoots and therefore requires grubbing out. Rhododendrons are extensively hybridized in cultivation, and there are over 28,000 cultivars of Rhododendron in the International Rhododendron Registry held by the Royal Horticultural Society. Most have been bred for their flowers, but a few are of garden interest because of ornamental leaves and some for ornamental bark or stems. Most species of Rhododendron originate from South-East Asia, the Far East (China and Nepal) and parts of Australasia and were mainly introduced to the UK by Victorian plant hunters.

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