Rhododendron

Description:

A picture of just the bud and leaves. The purple flowers will appear around May. Rhododendron is a small shrub but can quickly take over an area.

Habitat:

Mainly woodlands and heathland s. Likes acid soils. Found in lots of gardens.

Notes:

Introduced by the Victorians for their ornamental gardens and is considered an invasive species. The leaves are waxy which helps them last all year, they don't decompose very easily which isn't good news for our fungi or invertebrates.