Episode 12: Tea Time Treats & Weaponized Honey- Rhododendrons

Mar 22

Botanical Illustration of a rhododendron flower that details the leaves, flowers, and seeds of the Rhododendron

Hello there, and welcome to another episode of Rooted! This week we are digging in to Rhododendrons, which are one of my very favorite trees! Today we will actually be talking about a few different species of Rhododendron, but before we dive into those, let’s take a quick look at their family tree and learn a little bit more about what they like..

So, Rhododendrons are part of the heather family, which also has plants like cranberries, blueberries, huckleberries, and azaleas. Rhododendrons are known for their bright pink/purple or white flowers, woody trunks, and pointy, leathery, evergreen leaves.

They are found all over the world now, but are native to different areas of Europe, the Americas, and Asia, with the most diversity found in mountainous regions of Asia like the himalayas.

They were introduced to areas like ireland and scotland, where they quickly became invasive, taking over the understory of the forest…This is mostly because they are fast growers, and can actually send shoots out of their roots- so if you're not absolutely sure you’ve gotten the entire root system, there is a good chance they are coming right back- kind of like honeysuckle here in the US.

In a lot of countries Rhododendrons are actually banned from being sold commercially because of how invasive they can be there, but there are PLENTY of other places (like the US and nepal) where these are extremely popular- so much so that they are the official flowers of Washington state (Rhododendron macrophyllum), West Virginia(Rhododendron maximum) and the national flower of Nepal (Rhododendron arboreum ).

The first specific Rhododendron Species I want to explore is the Nepalise “Rhododendron Arboreum” as it is very different than the rhododendrons that grow in the us and through europe- not necessarily in look, but certainly in legend

For Starters, the flowers of Rhododendron Arboreum are edible, and are often pickled, steeped into teas, and even added into a traditional fish curry, where they add a distinct sour flavor, and are believed to help soften the bones.

They also help to provide much needed stability to the rocky areas of nepal, where the roots of rhododendrons help to keep soil in place, and prevent erosion and landslides.

But how did these plants come to be such a big part of Nepal’s culture? Well, to understand that, we will need to take a closer look at their lore!

There was a time in nepal when marriage wasn-t just for people- all things in nature could choose to get married. Fig, who was an excellent matchmaker, was excited to FINALLY have met a match for her dear friend, Adler….but when she invited him to meet this potential bride, we rejected Fig’s offer, choosing instead to relax and soak in his own narcissism…

As a sie note, Adler is FOR SURE the guy at the party that no one invited and is too busy learning “black bird” on the acoustic guitar he somehow found to think about if anyone else really wants to hear it…

Anyway, Adler is just so taken with being in his own presence that he can’t even THINK about dating someone….that is until all of his friends are in happy relationships and he decides it’s time for him to settle down.

So, that cool winter day, Fig introduces Adler to Rhododendron- She is sweet, helpful, and beautiful in the spring…but during the winter she looks a little rough- you know, from literally HOLDING DOWN THE ENTIRE FOREST ALL YEAR?? Anyway, Adler takes one look at her and is like “not really what I pictured, SOOOOOO not my type”

Which like RUDE. but, whatever Adler. Rhododendron loses NO sleep over this. She knows she is way too good for Adler, and decides she is just going to spend winter relaxing so she can really shine during hot girl spring. And shine she does- she comes into spring like Mia from the princess diaries and the whole forest is SHOCKED. She is - hydrated, in her lane, unbothered, THRIVING. And suddenly Adler is like “you know, I think we SHOULD get married, I was wrong”

But rhododendron is having NONE of this. She decides she is not going to take any of Adlers BS and will just keep living her life FREE of having to listen to Adler butcher riptide at every party forever…and so, she tells him she really isn't interested.

And Adler, having literally never been told no, decides the only course of action is to HURDLE HIMSELF INTO A GULCH…like truly if men have nothing else, they have the audacity

The forest, so relieved to never ever hear Adler mansplain kafka to them again, decides he should just stay there forever- but not before the forest goddess herself decides that this clown was so toxic that plants just aren’t gonna get married anymore because NO ONE should have to put up with a toxic ex like that. And that’s why plants don't get married, Adlers tend to grow in ravines, and The Rhododendron is a symbol of beauty and resiliency in nepal.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Rhododendrons are doing some totally different things….. For starters, the Species Rhododendron tomentosum was used to make Labrador tea by the Pomo, Kashaya, Tolowaand Yurok peoples of North America. This tea, made by steeping the leaves of the plant in hot water, was used to cure coughs and colds, and was even sometimes used to spice meats. Later, beer makers in germany found that it could actually increase intoxication, so they started adding it to their beers in an effort to stand out from the competition….this was later banned in the beer purity act of 1516, which I dove more into in Episode 1.

It turns out that intoxication isn’t all the rhododendron has been used for… in fact, a lot of the rhododendron species that grow in the United States are actually toxic, and some of them can even cause hallucinations.

One example of this comes to us from Washington State- The rhododendron macrophyllum. This stunning evergreen tree produces bright pink blooms, and is a pollinator favorite..BUT, you might not want to eat the honey from the hives feeding off this tree…see, grayanotoxin is what makes this plant poisonous for us, and it just so happens that it can be found in the pollen of the rhododendron flowers, which, of course, is where we get honey..and that stuff doesnt just go away in the honey making process….

Interestingly, honey that contains a lot of pollen from rhododendrons or azaleas is sometimes called “mad honey”. It’s described as a dark red honey that tends to taste a little less sweet than others….and, oh yeah, it can make you hallucinate…and eaten in large enough quantities will make you REALLY sick.

In my research I was expecting to find more about people using this as some kind of early party drug (especially after the german beer deep dive) but instead I was shocked to find it mostly being used as a weapon?! I KNOW- history is wild sometimes

So, here’s what happened- In 401 BCE, a student of socrates (remember him from episode 4?) Named Xenophon was leading his army back to greece after winning a war in persia… and on the way they got a little peckish, so they decided to just stop for a nice little snack. And wouldn’t you know it- they found some local bees making some VERY tasty looking honey, so they decided to eat a bunch. Cut to a little while later and these guys are seeing some crazy stuff. Then, they start feeling a little off-they are feeling extra sick and some can’t even WALK anymore…so, they do about the only thing they can…they rest. And in the moring everyone feels fine and they go home.

The persians take note of this. And later, when the Romans came to start messing things up, the persians decided they were going to unleash hell..or rather, honey.

They strategically left pots of mad honey in with their stores, so that when the Romans came to root around and take stuff, they would THINK they were getting away with all of the persian honey- really putting a damper on their tea times..

But instead, they were actually taking POISON. The next morning the Persians came to the beach to find the Romans basically drunk- slurring, stuttering, tripping, the whole nine yards. And THAT”S when they launched their attack…when all was said and done, the romans retreated having lost a thousand men, leaving persia and probably needing to avoid honey for a while..

Today, you can still find mad honey in persia, but it will cost you about $116 PER POUND. It is also sometimes found in the US, but it is pretty rare, as bees often have plenty of flowers to pollinate when rhododendrons bloom, which means the grayanotoxin concentration is MUCH lower. However, if there is ever an unexpected cold snap that kills or delays other flowers, there is a decent chance you might find some.

It is because of mad honey and the uncertain nature of the rhododendron that in Floriography rhododendrons symbolize mistrust- especially of someone’s intentions or romantic choices, as the flowers are beautiful, but may also be toxic.

As far as their role in society today, Rhododendrons are mostly used as a landscaping plant because of their stunning flowers, evergreen foliage, and manageable size! There are a ton of different varieties and colors, so you might have seen one a million times without ever noticing it! Next time you see one, I hope you say hello, and take a moment to appreciate all it has done for us in history! After all, It’s not every day you meet someone who took down a Roman army with a bad trip…

That’s it for this week! As always, thank you so much for listening and joining me on this wonderful and weird deep dive into plants + their role in our histories! I have so much fun creating this show, and I wouldn’t have this opportunity without your support! It really does mean the world to me to know there are so many of you spending a little time learning with me each week, and I can’t wait to bring you another episode (and even more content) soon!

Sources:

https://rhodygarden.org/our-plants/rhododendrons/about-rhododendrons/

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:327085-2

https://leg.wa.gov/Symbols/pages/default.aspx

https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol/west-virginia/state-flower/rhododendron

https://blog.livingwilderness.com/2015/06/the-legend-of-rhododendron.html

https://www.petalrepublic.com/rhododendron-meaning-and-symbolism/

https://petalsnepal.com/blog/the-unique-story-behind-the-national-flower-of-nepal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ericaceae

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_tomentosum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_tea