Arboreum Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum)

Family: Ericaceae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Rhododendron arboreum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 12 m (39ft) by 3 m (9ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet-sour taste, they are said to make a good sub-acid jelly. — The tender leaves are used as a cooked vegetable.; Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.; Flowers - raw or cooked.; A sweet-sour taste, they are said to make a good sub-acid jelly.

Habitat & North American Range

Forests and shrubberies with Pieris ovalifolia and Quercus incana, 1500 - 3600 metres from Pakistan to S.E. Tibet in the Himalayas. (Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)