# great rhododendron (*Rhododendron maximum*) The great rhododendron is a beautiful shrub with big, colorful flowers. It grows in forests and can be very tall, making it a lovely sight in nature during springtime. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 16 - **Habitat:** Forests ![great rhododendron](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rhododendron_maximum.jpg&width=800) Photo: Arx Fortis, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhododendron_maximum.jpg) ## Appearance The great rhododendron has large, leathery evergreen leaves and showy clusters of bell-shaped flowers, typically white to pale pink with yellow-green spots on the upper petal. Its thick, woody stems support a dense, often rounded shrub or small tree form, visually distinct from deciduous forest undergrowth. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ericaceae - **Genus:** Rhododendron ## Interesting facts - Deer and other hungry animals mostly avoid eating its leaves because they taste bitter! - Honey made from its nectar can cause "mad honey disease" if consumed by humans! - Its scientific name, Rhododendron, literally means "rose tree" in ancient Greek! - Older great rhododendrons can form dense, secret "rhododendron hells" in forests! ## Special abilities - **Toxic Shield:** Great rhododendron produces special toxins in its leaves and nectar that deter most hungry animals from eating it. - **Cold Detector:** Great rhododendron leaves curl downwards and inward in freezing temperatures, protecting them from extreme cold and water loss. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 200-1000 cm - **Spread:** 200-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar, aiding reproduction. - **Eats:** rhododendron lace bug (*Stephanitis rhododendri*) — Feeds on sap from its leaves. - **Eaten by:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Occasionally browses leaves when desperate. - **Parasitizes:** Cinnamon fungus (*Phytophthora cinnamomi*) — Causes root rot and plant death. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the rhododendron, as it can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify great rhododendron? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is great rhododendron? 200-1000 cm ### How wide does great rhododendron spread? 200-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on great rhododendron? 3-5 cm ### When does great rhododendron bloom? Summer ### Is great rhododendron edible? No ### Is great rhododendron toxic? High ### What is great rhododendron's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arrowmont-school-of-arts-and-crafts) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Bear Meadows Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-meadows-natural-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Clinton Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clinton-hill-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [New River Gorge National Park and Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-river-gorge-national-park-and-preserve) — West Virginia, US · National Park - [Quehanna Wild Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/quehanna-wild-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see great rhododendron](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/great-rhododendron) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Great Rhododendron: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-rhododendron)