Love it or hate it, rhododendron is important to many wildlife species and its leaves are truly Mother Nature’s thermometer.

Some plants, including New York rhododendrons, can tell you how cold it is based on the shape of their leaves!

When the weather drops below freezing, rhododendron leaves start to wilt. Below 25, the leaves start to curl. Rhododendron leaves curl up so tightly below 20 degrees, the plant looks practically bare!