Ingestion caution. Extension reports ingestion toxicity and concerns for cats, dogs and horses. Do not treat garden use as evidence that this plant is safe to eat. Plant caution source
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
55CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC
Genus host records with ranges including SC · 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 55
- 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
- Eupsilia sidusSidus Sallow
- Fishia illocataWandering Brocade
- 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
- Probole nepiasariaHeath Probole
- 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
- Synanthedon rhododendriRhododendron Borer
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
- Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
- Paralobesia rhoifructana
- Tulsa finitella
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
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
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–7b
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- Pink, purple or white
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Growth habit
- Several stems
- Foliage color
- Dark green
- Fruit begins
- Spring
- Fruit ends
- Summer
Flowering timing. Species profile reports June–August; timing varies with location and year. Source
Flower color. Olive-green to orange markings are separate from the pink, purplish or white flower color. Source
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “June to August” · NC State Extension · reviewed species facts
- Flower color · “Pink, purple or white” · NC State Extension · reviewed species facts
- Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “5–15 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 · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “5–12 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Great Laurel; Rosebay
Conservation status
| South Carolina rank | Not available |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| SC status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
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Sources
- tnky_atlas
- usda
- nc_flora
- South Carolina occurrence source
- 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