About Rhododendron menziesii Craven
Rhododendron menziesii Craven is generally an erect or spreading shrub that often grows taller than 3 metres (9.8 ft), and grows shorter at higher elevations. Its branches are covered in thin, scaly, shreddy bark, and its twigs are covered in fine glandular hairs. The deciduous leaves are alternately arranged, oval-shaped with pointed tips, and grow 4 to 6 centimeters long. The leaves are hairy, glandular, sticky to the touch, and give off an unpleasant skunk-like odor when crushed. The inflorescence is a loose cluster of hanging bell- or cup-shaped flowers, which range in color from pink, to orange, to yellow-green. Each flower has 4 to 5 petals that are mostly fused into a cylinder, with eight stamens inside. This species blooms in June and July. Its fruit is a valved capsule under one centimeter long that holds many seeds. This shrub is native to northwestern North America, ranging from Alaska through the Pacific Northwest to northwestern California and Wyoming. It is part of the native plant community in mountain forests, and grows in the understory alongside conifers including subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), Pacific silver fir (A. amabilis), Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla). It prefers cold, wet, densely vegetated habitats, and can grow in deep shade.
