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| Rhododendron maximum |
These flowers are generally pink or white and are found all throughout the state, but they are also found on the slopes and valleys of the Himalayas as well. Yes, the ones near Tibet! In fact, this is where the majority of them are concentrated.
Growing up, I always thought of the plant as being more of a shrub because they can grow to be very large. According to proflowers.com some plants can reach up to 40 feet. The website also lists some other interesting facts about West Virginia's native plant:
-The Rhododendron was adopted as West Virginia's state flower in 1903.
-Its botanical name is the Rhododendron maximum.
-The name Rhododendron means "rose tree".
-Other common names are Great Laurel, Great Rhododendron, Rosebay, and Rosebay Rhododendron.
As proflowers points out, the pink and white flowers are a beautiful contrast to the green leaves of the plant. If you find yourself in West Virginia check them out, or better yet collect some seeds and grow your own!
More on this subject at:
http://www.proflowers.com/blog/west-virginia-state-flower-the-rhododendron
http://www.rhododendron.org/v47n3p139.htm
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