How to Identify Rhododendron
- 1). Note the height of the plant in question. Rhododendron range in measurements, depending on the species. The alutaceum var russotinctum grows up to 7 feet tall, while the mucronulatum var. taquetii is a ground shrub that only reaches 1 foot high.
- 2). Record the dominant flower color of the blooms that appear on the plant. The calostrotum ssp. keleticum, for example, bears a single reddish color, but the campanulatum ssp. campanulatum contains both white and lavender shades.
- 3). Touch the leaves and note the texture. Rhododendron have characteristically leathery-feeling foliage, no matter the species.
- 4). Exmine the shape of the flower petals. Rhododendron blooms range from the cerasinum bell shape to the tiny, five-petal groenlandicum.
- 5). Access the database of the American Rhododendron Society or of the United States Department of Agriculture, to compare your findings. Use the provided menus to input your notes and identify your rhododendron.
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