What’s your favourite colour?
Bright pink-purple. You’ve probably seen this colour on rhododendrons in gardens, but I like to wear it in the wild! In fact, in spring I burst into pink and purple even before I put out leaves. That way, I can really show off my flowers.
Do you have a nickname?
My Latin name is Rhododendron canadense. Rhododendron means “rose tree” and I am proudly native to Canada—hence Canada Rosebay. But I also go by Rhodora. That name was given to me by early taxonomists who thought I was a genus unto myself. Lots of people still call me Rhodora.
Where do you hang out?
You’ll likely find me in low, wetland areas amongst the black spruce, tamarack, and blueberries. But I also venture to forest trails and even to highlands. I don’t go very far west, however. My homeland is the eastern regions of what is now Canada and the United States. I’ve never seen the Pacific Ocean!
BFFs?
I’ve already mentioned some of my plant friends. Bees and moths love me, too. But I have a very special friend called the Bog Elfin Butterfly. Isn’t that the most darling name? The Bog Elfin is a rare butterfly found only in eastern North America. The caterpillars feed on black spruce while the adults sip nectar from Canada Rosebay.
What’s your claim to fame?
Do you remember Waldo? I mean Ralph Waldo Emerson, the writer and philosopher. He wrote about all sorts of things and dedicated a whole poem just to me: “The Rhodora, On Being Asked, Whence Is the Flower.” Oh, he loved to wax poetic! But he described me as a “rival of the rose” and I can’t argue!
Ever been misunderstood?
More prosaic sources than Emerson, ahem, have described me as “rather scrawny.” They claim that I fade into obscurity once my flowers fall. I beg to differ! My grey-green leaves adorn the wetlands and forest all summer and into autumn. Stop to say hello on your next walk.
One wish?
Please consider native plants when planning your garden this spring. Support local!
Each month, Wild Talk columnist Katherine Barrett interviews a local plant while printmaker Vanessa McKiel captures their portrait.
