Coast Rhododendron Is The Official State Flower Of Washington. Washington officially adopted the Coast Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum) as the Washington State Flower in 1959. But at first, It was actually selected as the state flower in 1892 by the women of Washington for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Coast Rhododendron is also known as the Pacific rhododendron, California rosebay, California rhododendron, coast rhododendron, or big leaf rhododendron. The plant is indigenous to several places in North America’s Pacific Coast, including California’s Monterey Bay, the Cascade Range, and has a northern limit near the US-Canada border. Unlike other plants of its type, the State Flower Of Washington rhododendron does well in environments that have experienced some type of disturbance. Examples of these habitats include deforested wildlands and embankments on the roadside. In addition to disturbed environments, the flower can also grow on mountains.
Description of the Coast Rhododendron
The Washington State Flower Coast Rhododendron is an evergreen shrub that can grow to heights of between 7 and 30 feet. The plant has large leaves, with an average length of between three and nine inches and an average width ranging from one to three inches, and it retains its leaves for a period of up to three years. The Washington State Flower have a length ranging from 1.1 to 1.6 inches, and are usually pink in color, although some variations in the color exist. Another physical characteristic of the flower is that its corolla, or petals, has five lobes. The flower and leaves of the State Flower Of Washington Coast Rhododendron are toxic, and therefore should be avoided by humans and wildlife. Animal owners, especially those who graze their animals, should make sure livestock avoid the plant. Animals that have ingested the plant have been known to become ill, sometimes fatally. Farmers should be especially careful between the months of May and July since that is the peak period of the Coast Rhododendron.
Facts About Coast Rhododendron
- Coast Rhododendron is an evergreen shrub and reaches to the height of 1-2 meters.
- Coast Rhododendron has large, deep green, leathery leaves.
- Coast Rhododendron leaves are alternate, whorled, leathery, with long petioles.
- Coast Rhododendron shrub consists of rounded clusters of large, pink, tubular flowers.
- Coast Rhododendron capsule or fruit is about 2 cm long.