Huading Rhododendron

Huading Rhododendron, belonging to the Rhododendron genus of the Ericaceae family. It was first discovered in 1990 by botanist Ding Bingyang and others on Huading Mountain in Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province, hence the name Huading Rhododendron. Subsequently, it was also found in places like Linhai City, Zhejiang, and is an endemic species of Zhejiang. It has been listed in the Zhejiang Province Rare and Endangered Plants and the Zhejiang Province Key Protected Wild Plants List (first batch). Huading Rhododendron is a deciduous shrub, up to 4 meters tall, with cracked bark, and flowers before leaves. The flowers bloom in early April, with large and beautiful purplish-red flowers. After flowering, leaves grow, and the tree crown resembles a canopy, making it highly ornamental. Huading Rhododendron is concentrated in Huading National Forest Park, where there are many thousand-year-old rhododendrons that bloom in May every year.