indigenous flower Washington


Before women had the right to suffrage, they chose the coast rhododendron to be Washington’s state flower. This happened in 1892. This flower was actually chosen out of six plants as part of an effort to select something to enter in the 1893 World’s fair in Chicago. Although the women during that time were not yet allowed to vote for political officials, they were able to vote for this Washington indigenous flower, popularly called the “rhodie” and give it the status of state flower.

The plant is actually a shrub that grows up to 9 meters tall. There are different varieties of flowers and this is exhibited by the different colors of the petals. However, the most commonly-occurring color among this Washington indigenous flower is pink. The flowers are also characterized by having 5 lobes on the corolla.

Rhododendrons typically grow on natural habitats that have experienced one form or another of disturbance. Some samples of this Washington indigenous flower have been observed growing in roadside embankments and deforested areas. In fact some have even been observed to grow in areas which have been razed with fire.

Actually, a lot of people have planted this Washington indigenous flower in order to help rehabilitate disturbed habitats. The Coast Rhododendron may actually help keep the topsoil of a recently disturbed habitat and prevent soil erosion.

If you are looking to cultivate this Washington indigenous flower, you are in for a challenge. This plant is actually pretty hard to take care of, as it can easily die of over watering. However, if you don’t feed it enough, it will look like a complete mess. Because of this, a lot of people interested in ornamental horticulture have passed on the Coast Rhododendron for other species.

The flowers of the Coast rhododendron are also less impressive than other varieties. This is just another reason why people don’t really like to cultivate this Washington indigenous flower. However, if you are up for a horticultural challenge, you might want to try it.

What you need to know about cultivating this Washington indigenous flower is the fact that it has shallow roots. This means you need the right type of soil. Usually, loamy soil will allow the roots to penetrate deeper into the ground. This is especially so if the plant is well-aerated. As said before, care must be taken in watering the plants as they can easily die from too much or too little water.

Rhododendrons are typically capable of nutrient uptake even in environments where there is a noticeable lack of plant nutrients. This is one of the reasons why so many can be found in recently disturbed habitats. Although the rhododendron does produce fruit and seeds, they commonly grow from rootstock. Truly, this Washington indigenous flower is a very interesting study. By Oahu Wedding florist at http://alohaislandweddings.com