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Ericaceae FAMILY

Rhododendron aureum

Rhododendron aureum

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant (including the leaves, flowers and pollen) contain greater or lesser amounts of the toxic compound andromedotoxin (also known as grayanotoxin), as well as the glycosides ericolin and rhododendrin[1, 2]. Rarely lethal to humans (and used medicinally in some herbal disciplines), andromedotoxin causes dose-dependant overstimulation of the central nervous system with symptoms including various cardiovascular effects (mainly low blood pressure and cardiac rhythm disorders); nausea and vomiting; and a change in consciousness. The effects commence shortly after ingestion and last around two days. These effects are also transferred to honey made from the nectar of the flowers. In some parts of the world bees are used to deliberately produce a honey rich in andromedotoxin which is then eaten for its supposed medicinal, hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effects. In contrast to humans, many other creatures are more susceptible to the toxin and it has sometimes proved lethal to grazing animals and household pets. Some forms of honeybees are also killed by the toxin (resistant forms of the bee are used for honey production). Bumblebees are not affected, however, and are also more efficient in pollinating rhododendron flowers, so one theory is that the toxin is produced by the plant in order to favour the bumblebee and improve fertilization rates[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
GrowthSlow

Rhododendron aureum is a very cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -40°c. The plant usually comes into growth with the first mild weather in late winter or early spring - although it is very cold-tolerant when dormant, the flowers and young growth are very susceptible to damage by late frosts in regions where these are likely to occur after the new growth has commenced[3]. Succeeds in a most humus-rich lime-free soils except those of a dry arid nature or those that are heavy or clayey[4]. Prefers a peaty or well-drained sandy loam[4]. Succeeds in sun or shade, the warmer the climate the more shade a plant requires[3]. A pH between 4.5 and 5.5 is ideal[4]. Succeeds in a woodland though, because of its surface-rooting habit[3], it does not compete well with surface-rooting trees[4]. Plants need to be kept well weeded, they dislike other plants growing over or into their root system, in particular they grow badly with ground cover plants, herbaceous plants and heathers[3]. A slow-growing species[5]. Plants form a root ball and are very tolerant of being transplanted, even when quite large, so long as the root ball is kept intact[3]. Closely related to Rhododendron caucasicum[5]. This species is very rare and difficult to cultivate[4, 5]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[3].

Propagation

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 mid spring. Surface-sow the seed and do not allow the compost to become dry[3]. 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[6]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, August in a frame. Difficult[6]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Rhododendron+aureum>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  2. [2]Grayanotoxin Poisoning: ‘Mad Honey Disease’ and Beyond — Jansen S.A. et al · 2012 · https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-012-9162-2 ↩︎An in-depth review of the literature on the toxic effects of a toxin widely found in the family Ericaceae
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  6. [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  7. [7]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  8. [8]Tibetan Medicinal Plants — Tsarong. Tsewang. J. · Tibetan Medical Publications, India · 1994 · ISBN 81-900489-0-2 ↩︎A nice little pocket guide to the subject with photographs of 95 species and brief comments on their uses.
  9. [9]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [10]CosIng — http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/ ↩︎CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.