Medfield Rhododendron Reservation

Tucked inside the reservation is a stand of Rhododendron maximum, or Great Laurel—one of only three evergreen rhododendron species native to eastern North America. While extensive thickets flourish in the southern Appalachians, New England marks their northernmost range. Turn-of-the-20th-century over-collecting for showy wild blooms nearly wiped the plant out, leaving just seven known populations today. Within the park, an enclosed fence shields the shrubs from deer, and the grove blooms two to four weeks later than common varieties.