Rhododendron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rhododendron
Rhododendron ponticum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Rhododendron L.

Rhododendron is a big group of flowering plants. It includes over 1,000 different kinds, or species, of woody plants. These plants belong to the heath family, called Ericaceae. Some rhododendrons keep their leaves all year round (they are evergreen). Others lose their leaves in the fall (they are deciduous). Most of these plants grow naturally in Asia.

Many rhododendrons have very colorful and showy flowers. What many gardeners call Azalea is actually a type of rhododendron. Lots of people grow rhododendrons in their gardens or in flower pots. The rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal. One type, Rhododendron ponticum, has become an Invasive species in North America. This means it grows too much and can harm other plants.

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  Rhododendron sp.

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What Do Rhododendrons Look Like?

Rhododendrons can be shrubs or small to large trees. The smallest kinds are only about 10 to 100 centimeters (4 to 40 inches) tall. The biggest one, R. protistum var. giganteum, can grow up to 30 meters (about 100 feet) tall! That's as tall as a 10-story building.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of rhododendrons grow in a spiral pattern. Their size can be very different. Some leaves are only 1 to 2 centimeters (less than an inch) long. Others can be over 50 centimeters (20 inches) long. One type, R. sinogrande, can even have leaves up to 100 centimeters (about 3 feet) long.

As mentioned, some rhododendrons are evergreen (keep leaves all year). Others are deciduous (lose leaves in fall). On some species, the underside of the leaves has tiny scales or hairs. Many well-known rhododendrons are famous for their large groups of flowers.

Some rhododendrons grow in high mountain areas. These often have small flowers and leaves. Tropical types, like those in the Vireya group, often grow on other plants as epiphytes. This means they grow on trees but don't take food from them.

Special Features of Rhododendrons

Scientists often group rhododendrons based on whether their lower leaf surface has tiny scales. These scales are special hairs that look like small plates. They are only found in one main group of rhododendrons.

Rhododendrons also have other unique features. Their flower clusters have dry, papery coverings called perulae. They have a specific number of chromosomes, which are the parts of cells that carry genetic information. Their fruit is a dry capsule that splits open to release seeds. The part of the flower that becomes the fruit (the ovary) is usually at the top of the flower. Also, their pollen grains often stick together in clumps.

How Are Rhododendrons Classified?

Rhododendron wardii var. puralbum

Rhododendron in Japan

A garden with tall Rhododendrons in Lynnwood, Washington

Rhododendron forest in Nepal

Rhododendron (গুরাস), Sandakphu, West Bengal, India

Rhododendrons (Guras or Buras) at Fakding, Nepal

Azalea, Texas Gulf Coast

Rhododendron is the biggest group of plants in the Ericaceae family. There are about 850 to 1,024 different species. Because there are so many kinds and they look so different, it has been tricky for scientists to classify them. Taxonomy is the science of classifying living things.

Images for kids

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  Rhododendron in the Carpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine

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  Bonsai

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  Deciduous Rhododendron luteum in fall color

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  Evergreen azalea Rhododendron kaempferi

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  Evergreen azalea cultivar leaf color before shedding

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  Rhododendron after freezing rain

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  Rhododendron fallacinum photographed in situ on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

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  Rhododendron-Park Bremen, Germany

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  Nova Zembla Rhododendrons growing in a nursery in New Jersey.

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  State flower of Himachal Pradesh

See also

In Spanish: Rododendro para niños