Support Rhododendra
Rhododendra is free to use, but it is not free to build, operate, improve, or protect.
I created Rhododendra.com to help preserve and share rhododendron information in a way that is useful to growers, hybridizers, photographers, researchers, and enthusiasts around the world. The site now contains more than 17,000 plant entries and more than 14,000 photographs, and I continue to actively improve it.
My goal is for Rhododendra to become a long-term, community-supported reference for the genus: searchable, well organized, carefully moderated, and built to last.
Your support helps make that possible.
Why support is needed
Rhododendra has taken many hundreds of hours to build, and the work is ongoing.
The site has real operating costs, including hosting, image storage, backups, software tools, security, and development infrastructure. These costs are now well over a thousand dollars per year, and they will grow as the site stores more photographs, serves more visitors, and supports more contributors.
I intend to keep Rhododendra free to use. Financial support helps make that sustainable.
Donations help cover:
- Website hosting and server costs
- Image storage and delivery
- Backups and data protection
- Software and development tools
- Security, maintenance, and testing
- Continued development of new features
- The time required to build and maintain the system responsibly
Every contribution helps keep Rhododendra online and moving forward.
What is being built
Rhododendra is more than a static list of plant names and photographs. The goal is to build a practical, searchable reference for rhododendron information, including parentage, traits, hardiness, flower colour, fragrance, plant habit, foliage, photographs, and other useful details.
The next major step is community contribution.
The beginnings of a contribution system have already been built. This includes the foundation for contributor accounts, moderation workflows, and tools that will allow knowledgeable users to propose additions, corrections, and photographs. The system is being developed carefully because accuracy, attribution, security, and trust all matter.
A database of this size cannot depend on one person forever. Rhododendra needs a community process where contributors can help improve the information and experienced moderators can review changes before they become public.
Built to last
Rhododendra will not become a locked-away private database that disappears or becomes impossible for the community to steward. I am working to build it on strong foundations.
The Rhododendra software has been released as free and open-source under the GNU General Public License v3.0. This means the code can be used, studied, shared, and improved by others, provided it remains open under the same terms.
For new photo contributions, I am using Creative Commons Attribution licensing. This allows photographers to receive credit while making sure their images can continue to benefit the public.
I am also working toward stronger backups, clearer attribution, and a structure that would allow others to help steward the project if I am ever no longer able to maintain it.
Other ways to help
Financial support is important, but it is not the only way to help.
Rhododendra also needs:
- Contributors willing to help add, correct, and improve plant information
- Photographers willing to share clear, well-labelled rhododendron images
- People with botanical or taxonomic knowledge willing to advise
- Experienced growers and hybridizers willing to help review information
- Moderators who can help maintain standards for future submissions
- People with legal, governance, or nonprofit experience who can advise on long-term stewardship
If you would like to help in one of these ways, please contact me.
A note from John
Rhododendra began because members of the rhododendron community saw a need and asked whether I could help. I have been grateful to hear from so many people who use the site, value the work, and want to see it continue.
I care about this community, and I want to build something that is useful, trustworthy, and sustainable.
If Rhododendra has helped you, your chapter, your nursery, your research, your photography, your hybridizing work, or simply your enjoyment of rhododendrons, please consider supporting it.
Donations of any size help. Recurring support is especially valuable because the costs of hosting, storage, maintenance, and development continue over time.
Thank you for using Rhododendra, sharing your knowledge, and helping preserve rhododendron information for the next generation.
— John Verwolf
Creator of Rhododendra.com