Rhododendron spp. of the family Ericaceae, including at least 15 species in the genus that have rhododendron as all or part of one or more of their common names (which is a bit confusing since the common name IS the genus name and there are other species in the genus that don't use it as a common name). Native habitats for species that use rhododendron in their common name include much of Asia, some of the USA, and some of Europe. The genus as a whole has a wider distribution.
my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions
both sides of a sample plank of rhododendron / Rhodendron maximum --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of Pacific rhododendron / Rhododendron macrophyllum --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of great rose bay rhododendron / Rhododendron maximum --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of Asian rhododendron / Rhododendron molle --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. The species also goes by the common name azalea and a botanical synonym is Azalea mollis.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
All of the following are from the bole section shown below. It and the accompanying cookie were contributed to the site by Garry Painter whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. Garry said this had been dead for a couple of years and was outdoors, which is likely how the white rot set in. There's some nice black line spalting at the fighting boundaries of the white rot on the ends of a couple of the sample planks I cut from it. Also, as you can see in the pics, there is significant bug activity in the heartwood and although it's almost impossible to see in these pics, there is some curl figure that shows up pretty clearly in the planks I cut out.
bole section and cookie. The bole section is about 8" long and 6" in diameter
the cookie and a closeup after I rough sanded this face and then took it to 220 grit --- HUGE enlargements are present and you can clearly see white rot speckles throughout the heartwood
both sides of a sample plank of rhododendron / Rhododendron spp. --- HUGE enlargements are present. I cut this IWCS sized sample out of the bole above
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of rhododendron / Rhododendron spp. --- HUGE enlargements are present. This is the 2nd of 4 small planks cut from the bole above
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of rhododendron / Rhododendron spp. --- HUGE enlargements are present. This is the 3rd of 4 small planks cut from the bole above
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
both sides of a sample plank of rhododendron / Rhododendron spp. --- HUGE enlargements are present. This is the 4th of the 4 small planks cut from the bole above
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
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