The Amazing Rhododendron

Carol Greenberger
The Catawba Rhododendron grows mostly on bald mountaintops at higher elevations (above 5000').Painting by Mark Catesby, circa 1720.

Lining much of the Chattooga River, with intertwined branches creating an almost impenetrable wall of dark green leaves, and thousands of buds waiting to burst forth in pink and purple showy blossoms, is the amazing rhododendron. There are more than 850 different wild species of rhododendron, although only a few are native to North America. William Bartram and Andre Michaux, two eighteenth century naturalists and explorers, helped introduce the rhododendron of the southern Appalachians to the rest of the world.

William Bartram, son of botanist John Bartram, first explored part of the region with his father in 1765 on a plant-gathering trip financed by King George III. They traveled through present-day North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, focusing primarily on the St. Johns River near St. Augustine. Gardening was a very popular pastime in Europe, and the novel, exotic flora of the New World fascinated many Europeans. They relied on colonial botanists to supply them with specimens – seeds, drawings and live root cultures – that were then classified and named. By 1776 over 600 native species were identified and sent to Europe, and John Bartram was personally responsible for about a quarter of the finds. The King recognized John as a Royal Botanist for the mainland North American colonies.

In 1773 William Bartram returned to the southeast, traveling 2,400 miles on a solitary expedition through the wilderness of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. William traveled farther up the Savannah River on this trip, into the Appalachian Mountains. He spent four years collecting specimens, drawing and keeping a journal of his observations, later published in his book, Travels. Bartram described the woods of northern Georgia as “burning” with the late spring glow of the Flame Azalea, Rhododendron calendulaceum. With flowers ranging from clear yellow, through shades of orange, to brilliant red, the Flame Azalea is one of the most spectacular native shrubs of the Appalachian Mountains. Many of Bartram’s specimens, sent back periodically to London for identification, were never recorded or published, so the Flame Azalea was named by Michaux who collected it in 1795 from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

One of the most common rhododendron in the southern Appalachians, the Catawba, was discovered in the 1790s by Andre Michaux. Michaux was sent to America by France to search for new species of trees to rebuild France’s forests, which had been stripped of timber to build warships. Michaux met William Bartram in America and the men formed a friendship based on their mutual interests in botany and exploration. They kept in touch, exchanging letters and seeds. Michaux was inspired by Bartram’s stories of his exploration of the southern Appalachian region and the lure of new plants to be found there.

Michaux made Charleston, South Carolina his base of operations in 1787, so he frequently traveled in Georgia and the Carolinas. His expeditions to the mountains of the Carolinas were especially successful. Enticed by the possibility of discovering new plants, Michaux followed local guides up the slopes of Grandfather Mountain, Roan Mountain, the peaks of Table Rock and other peaks in this remote region. High in the mountains near the headwaters of the Catawba River Michaux identified a magnificent shrub with flowers that turned entire mountain peaks into vast oceans of purple blossoms. He named it Rhododendron catawbiense for the river that led him to the discovery.

The Catawba Rhododendron grows mostly on bald mountaintops at higher elevations (above 5000') and spectacular displays can be viewed from late May to late June. On Roan Mountain, straddling the North Carolina and Tennessee state line, is a 600-acre natural rhododendron garden - the largest in the world. It draws thousands of visitors in June, when the shrubs are covered with hundreds of thousands of blooms in shades of red, pink and many gradations of lavender. An Indian legend recounts a great battle that was waged on top of Roan Mountain, where so much blood spilled that the flowers turned from white to red.

Another beauty native to our region, the Great Laurel or Rosebay, Rhododendron maximum, can be found mostly along streams in the understory of mountain forests, forming dense thickets. They have short, crooked trunks, with broad, rounded crowns of many stout, crooked branches, and large white blossoms tinted with pink. The title “maximum” was given to this plant due to the size a mature specimen may grow to – normally standing at 15 feet, plants can achieve a tree-like height of 40 feet. The Red maximum, discovered in the Mount Mitchell area, has flowers that may vary in color from year to year, and also on a single shrub, from branch to branch. Because the range of the Catawba and the Maximum overlap, natural hybrids have occurred in the wild.

In contrast to the maximum is the Dwarf Rhododendron, R. Minus, usually attaining a height of three to six feet. Native from the mountain tops to coastal plains of Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Alabama this smaller species can be found along streams and rocky ridges. Andre Michaux described the species in 1792, naming it “minus” meaning smaller, most likely refering to the size of its leaves as compared to R. maximum.

The Swamp Azalea, R. viscosum can be found along the banks of the Chattooga River and throughout the watershed. Its white, fragrant flowers have pistils that are noticeably longer than their stamens. It is also known as Swamp Honeysuckle or Clammy Azalea. With blooms opening in June and fall foliage of orange to maroon, the Swamp Azalea offers color for much of the year.

Found in the spruce forests of only a few counties in western North Carolina at elevations of 3,000 to 5,500 feet is the Pink-Shell Azalea, R. vaseyi. Discovered in 1878 by George Vasey, the pink-shell is one of the first to bloom in spring, opening in mid to late May. Grandfather Mountain has the largest natural population of this endangered species.

Rhododendrons are members of the Heath family. This group contains plants such as heather, mountain laurel, blueberries, azaleas and many others. Their range extends from peaks over 5000 feet where they get sun, plenty of moisture and cooler temperatures, to lower elevation creek coves, where deep shade and moist conditions are found. Rhododendrons are an amazingly variable genus. Some are ground hugging while others can grow to tree height. Glossy leaves may be a centimeter long to over a meter. Flowers vary from clusters of small, bell-shaped to round, large blossoms, in pink, purple, white or red. The plants can be evergreen or deciduous, losing their leaves after the growing season. Rhododendron comes from the Greek rhodo, meaning "rose," and dendron, meaning "tree." Rhododendrons are typically divided into two broad groups: rhododendrons and azaleas.

Azaleas are a specific group within the Genus Rhododendron, and are mostly native to North America. Azaleas have smaller leaves than rhododendron and tend to sprawl rather than growing upright. The Pinxter Azalea, Rhododendron canescens, found in the woods and along creeks and streams, is one of the earliest bloomers in our region. Its long stamens, beautiful white or pink blossoms and delicate aroma make this member of the rhododendron family a treat to encounter.

The leaves and flowers of all rhododendrons are poisonous. The first written account of rhododendrons comes from Greece in 400 B.C. It relates to the poisoning of ten thousand soldiers by honey made from Rhododendron luteum. Rhododendron poisoning has since been confirmed repeatedly. A poisonous compound is found in rhododendron nectar, producing low blood pressure, shock and even death. In spite of, or perhaps because of that characteristic, rhododendron was once taken in minute quantities to treat heart disease. American Indians used the rhododendron medicinally by including crushed leaves in poultices to treat headaches and rheumatism. The wood from rhododendron also found use in early America. Due to its great strength, the wood was used for tool handles.

The native rhododendron is one of the southern Appalachians treasures. A hike along any creek, river or stream in the Chattooga watershed takes you through tangled thickets of rhododendron lining their banks. A favorite spot of mine on a nearby creek is along a bank at a rock-strewn bend in the rippling stream. The rich, moist bottomland, thickly carpeted with ferns and moss, is overgrown with twisted, gnarled rhododendron forming a dense canopy over my head, transporting me to the magical land of hobbits and gnomes. All thanks to the amazing rhododendron.