ROSEBAY RHODODENDRON 



Rhododendron maximum Linnaeus 



The glory of the rosebay rhododendron when in bloom can hardly 

 be exaggerated. Its lovely white or delicately pink flower clusters, 

 surrounded by dark green leaves, make a charming picture. The 

 shrub grows to a height of thirty feet in the Carolina mountains, 

 where it often covers every available spot, both swamp and hill- 

 side, with a tangle of stiff stems and leathery foliage. The moun- 

 taineers know it as "laurel." Its roots lie in mats close to the surface 

 of the ground, and are protected by a cover of fallen leaves, which 

 conserve the moisture, retain the acid condition of the soil, and add 

 fertility. 



Rosebay rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia. It 

 is abundant from central Georgia and Alabama as far north as Penn- 

 sylvania. It is occasional farther north, even reaching one or two 

 localities in Nova Scotia. 



The specimen sketched was obtained from the mountains of 

 North Carolina. 



PLATE Z54 



