nature · Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, North Sikkim
Find Sikkim's state tree
Rhododendron niveum is a small evergreen tree or large shrub, 2–6 m tall, with leathery leaves. Young leaves are covered with white felt, which stays on the underside; that is what the Latin name niveum, snowy, refers to. Its flowers are intense magenta to lilac, held together in a compact ball above the leaves.
It grows between about 2,600 and 3,500 m, which matches the lower part of the Shingba sanctuary. Give children the description before you leave Lachung and ask them to spot it from the car. Your driver may know it as the state flower tree; many people in Sikkim do.
When you find one, stop if it is safe and look without touching. Turn a fallen leaf over to see the white underside, but do not pull leaves from the tree. Compare it with the red tree rhododendrons and paler species nearby. It is a five-minute lesson in why this forest is protected.
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What is the state tree of Sikkim
The state tree of Sikkim is Rhododendron niveum, a rhododendron native to Sikkim, Bhutan and southern Tibet. It has magenta to lilac flowers in compact heads and leaves with a white felt underneath. It grows between about 2,600 and 3,500 m in places like the Lachung valley.
Where can I see Rhododendron niveum
In the Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary and elsewhere in the Lachung and Lachen valleys at about 2,600–3,500 m, and in other high forests of Sikkim. It flowers in spring, mainly April and May. Ask your driver or a local guide to point it out on the Yumthang road.
Can I take rhododendron flowers home
No. Picking flowers or breaking branches in the sanctuary is not allowed, and taking plants out of protected areas is illegal. Photograph them instead. Seed and nursery plants of some species are sold legally elsewhere if you want to grow them.
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