The coast rhododendron is the state flower of Washington. The following article provides information on this beautiful plant.
A Rhododendron of Our Own
by Jim McCausland
In 1934, a botanist named Leslie Haskin wrote that "the annual pilgrimage from our cities to the coast or mountains to view [rhododendron] flowers is so great that the railroads are at times forced to put on special trains for … those who wish to go."
Some plant. Lighting up the woods with big trusses of pink flowers, coast rhododendron (R. macropbyllum) has been called our most magnificent native shrub, and it is the official flower of Washington State. Oregon named a town after it, and in season, it’s one of the most-asked-about plants in California’s Redwood National and State Parks.
A large evergreen rhododendron native to the West–most sold in nurseries are hybrids from other countries–coast rhododendron is a tapestry plant that’s at its best jostling for space with other plants along the forest’s edge. It tends to stretch out so that it can reach through competing plants for light–a trait that makes it much more effective in nature than in most gardens.
To see the rhododendron at its best, head for the woods. They don’t put on extra trains for it any more, but the following locations are easily accessible by car. Peak bloom most years is late April into June; call ahead for bloom status.
