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Alabama Azalea

Rhododendron alabamense

Found in moist slopes, bluffs, streambanks. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

95
Keystone

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
4–6 feet
Spread
4–6 feet
Light
Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to average

Space about 5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 4 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to April

Recorded in 31 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

52CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Rhododendron

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Acronicta tritonaGray Dagger, Triton Dagger
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Callophrys augustinusThe Brown Elfin
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Caloptilia violacellaTick-Trefoil Caloptilia
Show all 52
  • Catocala andromedaeAndromeda Underwing
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Darapsa choerilusAzalea Sphinx
  • Darapsa versicolorHydrangea Sphinx
  • Datana majorMajor Datana, Azalea Caterpillar
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Papilio troilusSpicebush Swallowtail
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Rheumaptera prunivorataFerguson's Scallop Shell, Cherry Scallop Shell
  • Satyrium kingiKing's Hairstreak
  • Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
  • Epinotia septemberana
  • Paralobesia rhoifructana
  • Tulsa finitella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
24BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Rhododendron

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Rhododendron

  • Andrena carolina
  • Andrena cornelli
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Rhododendron

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
  • Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ericaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
White

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankNot available
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

In your garden

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Sources