Rhododendron vaseyi, the pinkshell azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae. It is endemic to the Appalachian highlands of North Carolina. The specific epithet vaseyi honors the American plant collector George Richard Vasey and his father Dr. George Vasey, Chief Botanist at the United States Department of Agriculture from 1872 to 1893. The species is sometimes referred to as the Vasey Rhododendron.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it poisonous?
Toxic. The note covers its whole genus. Grayanotoxins in leaves, flowers and nectar (mad honey) Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Rhododendron schlippenbachii — toxic
- Rhododendron prinophyllum — toxic
- Rhododendron periclymenoides — toxic
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Ericales
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Rhododendron
- Species
- Rhododendron vaseyi
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