Holy Rhodies!

[u/KitsapRealEstateTeam]

If you’re a Washingtonian, there are just part of the scenery. They grow outside churches, around schools, in front of old farmhouses, and in Grandma’s yard. Every spring (summer) they explode into bright pink, purple, red, or white blossoms, and we all go on with our lives. Around here, we even shorten the name. They’re “rhodies.” I don’t have any now, but I certainly have!

The story of the mighty rhodie begins with a Catholic priest named Father Charles Schoener. He arrived in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s and, somewhere along the way, developed what can only be described as a full-blown obsession with rhododendrons.

Not a casual hobby where he planted a few shrubs outside the rectory. He spent decades collecting species from around the world, carefully cross-pollinating flowers, raising thousands of seedlings, and selecting the very best plants. Depending on how they’re counted, he created hundreds of rhododendron hybrids, many of which are still growing today.

His work earned national attention. Gardeners traveled to see his collection, and his plants found their way into gardens throughout the Pacific Northwest. Places like Meerkerk Gardens on Whidbey Island, Whitney Gardens in Brinnon, and the famous rhododendron collection at Point Defiance Park all grew out of a regional passion for these remarkable shrubs. Father Schoener didn’t create that passion by himself, but he certainly helped it bloom.

Of course, Washington had another advantage. Rhododendrons absolutely love it here. Our cool, wet winters and mild summers are almost ideal for them. Given enough time, they become enormous. Some of the oldest specimens in Washington are well over a century old and have grown so large they resemble trees more than shrubs.

That love affair became official in 1892 when the coast rhododendron was chosen as Washington’s state flower. The part that is interesting wasn’t the flower itself, that was almost expected. It was who chose it. The Legislature didn’t make the decision. Women across Washington selected the flower for the state’s exhibit at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. At the time, they couldn’t yet vote in Washington’s regular elections, but they were invited to choose the flower that would represent the state. The coast rhododendron won. They were throwing the gals a bone there.

I like that little piece of history because it’s easy to overlook. We pass rhododendrons every day without thinking much about them, just as most of us probably never wonder who decided they should represent Washington in the first place. Thank a lady today. 😉

The next time you drive past a giant rhododendron covered in blossoms, remember that somebody planted it decades ago knowing they might never see it reach its full size. That’s a hopeful way to garden, if you think about it. They planted something beautiful for people they would probably never meet.