Rhododendron - a countryside scourge.

Rhododendrons are a pet HATE of mine. When they have been allowed to spread rampant throughout the countryside they become a menace. The roots put chemicals into the soil around the plant to 'inhibit' the growth of other plants [ apart from the few trees which were already large enough before the Rhoddies arrived], and these chemicals are also present in the plant itself. The flowers although 'big and blousy' and visited by many bees, are only around for a short time, and any honey containing the pollen from large numbers of blooms, can end up containing so much of the chemical that it can poison the bees in the winter time when they eat their store of honey. The branches and stems also contain the chemical and there have been a few cases where dogs which chew and 'munch' sticks of rhododendron, thrown for them by their owners, can end up with stomach cramps and severe stomach problems caused by the sap.

This is just a few of the reasons why I think it is an excellent to eradicate as much Rhododendron ponticum [the wild purple variety] as possible, to allow the natural flora and fauna to flourish instead. This is what I have been helping with in Kilmarnock with Scott the Clydesdale Horse, assisting us by removing the cut branches to a place where they can be burned safely. [see previous posts] I do have to admit that the thicker stems are excellent wood for burning on fires producing very little smoke and a lot of heat, once they start to burn. The wood from the thicker stems is also good for carving as it is very dense and can be cut into shapes which will not snap easily, in fact I made myself a walking stick from one length, cut out at Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.