Rhododendron arboreum
| Rhododendron arboreum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 39' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rhododendron arboreum
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn and given artificial light. Alternatively sow the seed in a lightly shaded part of the warm greenhouse in late winter or in a cold greenhouse in April. Surface-sow the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry[1]. Pot up the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter.
Layering in late July. Takes 15 - 24 months[2].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame. Difficult[2].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most humus rich lime free soils except those of a dry arid nature or heavy or clayey[3]. Prefers a peaty or well-drained sandy loam[3]. Succeeds in sun or shade, the warmer the climate the more shade a plant requires[1]. Requires a pH between 4.5 and 5.5[1].
Hardy to between -10 and -15°c, the pink flowered form is hardier than the red[4].
Succeeds in a woodland though, because of its surface-rooting habit[1], it does not compete well with surface-rooting trees[3]. Plants need to be kept well weeded, they dislike other plants growing over or into their root system, in particular they grow badly with ground cover plants, herbaceous plants and heathers[1].
There are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value[1].
Plants form a root ball and are very tolerant of being transplanted, even when quite large, so long as the root ball is kept intact[1].
This plant is the national flower of Nepal[5]. The flowers are sold in local markets and used as offerings to the Gods and Godesses[6].
A very ornamental plant[3], it is not very hardy outdoors in much of Britain, but grows well in the milder areas of the country[3].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas to Sri Lanka.
Habitat: Forests and shrubberies with Pieris ovalifolia and Quercus incana, 1500 - 3600 metres from Pakistan to S.E. Tibet in the Himalayas[5].
Edibility: The tender leaves are used as a cooked vegetable[7][8][9]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Flowers - raw or cooked[6]. A sweet-sour taste, they are said to make a good sub-acid jelly[9]. Th flowers are sometimes simply pickled by adding salt and chili[6]. Caution is advised, large quantities can cause intoxication[10][9].
Medicinal: The young leaves are astringent and poultice[8]. They are made into a pasteand then applied to the forehead in the treatment of headaches[11][6].
The juice of the bark is used in the treatment of coughs, diarrhoea and dysentery[6].
A decoction of the flowers is used to check a tendency to vomit, especially if there is also a loss of appetite[6]. The juice of the flowers is used in the treatment of menstrual disorders[6]. The petals are eaten to assist the removal of any animal bones that have become stuck in the throat[12].
Usage: The juice of the leaves is spread over cots and beds to get rid of bed lice[6].
Wood - soft, even grained, seasons badly. Used in turnery, it can also be used to make charcoal and for fuel[5][8]. Th wood is much employed in Nepal where it is used for making household implements, building small houses and fences[6]. Planks of the wood are carved to make boxes, cupboards and other furniture[6]. It is a very good fuel, burning well with a long-lasting heat - overcollection of the wod for fuel, and also for making charcoal, has become a cause for conservation concern[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves are poisonous[5][11]. The flowers can cause intoxication in large quantities[9].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Vanderplank, John. Passion Flowers. Cassell London, 1991.