Attractive as they are, the bright mauve flowers of rhododendrons hide a
dark secret, left
unchecked they'll choke and overwhelm our natural flora, smothering
wildlife habitats and rendering the soil toxic to many of our native species.
The rhododendron may only have arrived
in Britain in the late 1700s, though they're such a common sight I'd
imagine many would think them native. They're classified as a non native
invasive species and with good reason, with no predators and the ability
of each of their numerous flowers to produce up to 7000 seeds, they'll spread through
and
colonize woodland with alarming speed. Once established they're buggers
to get rid of too.
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