Herb latin name: Rhododendron kaempferi


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Edible parts of Rhododendron kaempferi:

Flowers - raw or cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Leaves - boiled. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
2.5 m
(8 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of the herb:

Open woods and scrub, sunny grassy hillsides and mountainsides to 1600 metres, all over Japan.

Other uses of Rhododendron kaempferi:

Plants can be grown as ground cover when spaced about 1 metre apart each way.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn and given artificial light. Alternatively sow the seed in a lightly shaded part of the warm greenhouse in late winter or in a cold greenhouse in April. Surface-sow the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry. Pot up the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a greenhouse for at least the first winter. Layering in late July. Takes 15 - 24 months. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame. Difficult.

Cultivation of Rhododendron kaempferi:

Open woods and scrub, sunny grassy hillsides and mountainsides to 1600 metres, all over Japan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Rhododendron kaempferi:

Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many members have poisonous leaves. The pollen of many if not all species of rhododendrons is also probably toxic, being said to cause intoxication when eaten in large quantities.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.