Rhododendron arboreum, the tree rhododendron,^[1] is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a showy display of bright red flowers. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Thailand. It is the national flower of Nepal. In India it is the state tree of Uttarakhand and state flower of Nagaland.

Its specific epithet means “tending to be woody or growing in a tree-like form”. It has been recorded as reaching heights of 20 m (66 ft),^[2] though more usually 12 m (39 ft) tall and broad. This plant holds the Guinness Record for World’s Largest Rhododendron. The tree discovered in 1993 at Mount Japfu in Kohima district of Nagaland, India, holds the Guinness Record for the tallest Rhododendron at 108 ft measured at the time of discovery which is still growing.

In early- and mid-spring, trusses of 15–20 bell-shaped flowers, 5 cm (2 in) wide and 3–5 cm (1.25–2 in) long are produced in red, pink or white. They have black nectar pouches and black spots inside.

(From Wikipedia, June 2021)