White-flowered Rhododendron
Rhododendron albiflorum
Its nectar contains grayanotoxins, which can make honey produced from its flowers toxic to humans, a condition historically known as 'mad honey disease'.
- Scientific name
- Rhododendron albiflorum
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Ericales › Ericaceae › Rhododendron
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist subalpine forests, montane coniferous woods, and damp rocky slopes.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- Range
- Cascade Mountains, Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana
- Size
- Deciduous shrub growing 1 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet) tall.
- Lifespan
- 20 to 50 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Climate change reducing subalpine snowpack, habitat fragmentation, and severe wildfires.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but highly toxic if ingested. Do not consume any part of this plant, and prevent pets from chewing on its leaves. If ingested, seek immediate medical attention.
Rhododendron albiflorum is a deciduous shrub in the family Ericaceae, with the common names white-flowered rhododendron or white rhododendron .
Photo: Braden J. Judson, CC0, via iNaturalist
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