Rhododendron macrophyllum, the Pacific rhododendron, California rosebay, California rhododendron, coast rhododendron or big leaf rhododendron, is a large-leaved species of Rhododendron native to the Pacific Coast of North America. It is the state flower of Washington.
Broadleaf evergreen shrub, erect, compact in the open but long stranggling branches when crowded, to 6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m) tall, may even become a small tree 25 ft (7.6 m) high. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic to oblong, 7.5-15 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, tapering at both ends, dark green above, paler below but often rusty-colored, petiole 1.3-2.5 cm long. Flowers 5-lobed, spreading bell-shaped, about 3.5 cm wide (or more), color varies from pale pink to a rosy purple, rarely white, green/brown spots on the upper lobe, edges crumpled, calyx small, 10 stamens, ovary covered with reddish down; flower clusters are terminal and may contain 20 or more blooms.It is an evergreen shrub growing up to 2β9 m (7β30 ft) tall. The leaves, retained for 2β3 years, are 7β23 cm (3β9 in) long and 3β7 cm (1β3 in) broad. The flowers are 2.8β4 cm (1.1β1.6 in) long, with five lobes on the corolla; color is usually pink, although variants exist.
