Catawba Rhododendron

Rhododendron catawbiense

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

Rhododendron catawbiense — foliage photograph — (c) sblumen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph · iNaturalist medium image; no additional crop, retouching, or re-encoding.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

54CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · 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 54

Catocala andromedaeAndromeda Underwing
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
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
Eupsilia sidusSidus Sallow
Fishia illocataWandering Brocade
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Melanchra assimilisBlack Arches
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
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
Polygonia progneGray Comma
Probole nepiasariaHeath Probole
Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
Rheumaptera prunivorataFerguson's Scallop Shell, Cherry Scallop Shell
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

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)

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Flower color · “Yellow, green, pink or purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
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
Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “8–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Catawba Rhododendron; Mountain Rhododendron; Purple Laurel

Conservation status

Kentucky rank	S2S3
Global rank	G5
KY status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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