Catawba Rhododendron

Rhododendron catawbiense

Found in cliffs, ledges and rocky summits; mountain balds. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Keystone

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

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Height: 6–10 feet
Spread: 8–10 feet
Light: Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 9 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Rhododendron catawbiense — bloom photograph — (c) Turner Brockman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Evergreen
Bloom: Spring and summer
Fruiting season: July to October

Recorded in 10 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

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trees and rocks on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Grassy bald on a high ridge. Shown: Round Bald, Mitchell County, North Carolina and Carter County, Tennessee, a neighboring state.Round Bald, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record. Faithful JPEG display decode of embedded JP2; no AI or color enhancement. Phone derivative resized proportionally.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 102 animals.

Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Birds. 3 shared habitats
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 2 shared habitats

All wildlife of Alabama

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 4a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Yellow, green, pink or purple
Fruit begins: July
Fruit ends: October

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Flower color · “Yellow, green, pink or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Fruit begins · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “8–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Mountain Rhododendron; Purple Laurel

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources

Alabama Plant Atlas
USDA PLANTS
Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), phone app (app page)
FloraQuest: South Central (Weakley), phone app (app page)
FloraQuest: Northern Tier (Weakley), phone app (app page)
NatureServe Explorer
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
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
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications

Catawba Rhododendron

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Rhododendron