Dwarf Azalea

Rhododendron atlanticum

Found in pocosins, pine savannas, pine flatwoods, sandhill-pocosin ecotones. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

Keystone

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

Profile 100%

Height: 3–6 feet
Spread: 3–6 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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Rhododendron atlanticum — bloom photograph — Plant Image Library · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original photograph · Cropped from the original photograph.

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Early spring
Fruiting season: August to October

Recorded in 27 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 3

Dense low pocosin. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Dense low pocosin, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Sandy pine savanna. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Sandy Pine Savanna, Rush Featherling subtype, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Wet pine flatwoods with a shrub layer. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Wet Pine Flatwoods, Shaken Creek Preserve - typical shrub layer, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 79 animals.

White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-breasted Chat
Icteria virens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Dendroica coronata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-throated Warbler
Dendroica dominica
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

63CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Rhododendron

Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Acleris pulverosana"North American" Hasty Acleris
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

Show all 63

Caloptilia violacellaTick-Trefoil Caloptilia
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
Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet
Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
Eupithecia russeliataWhite-Lined Pug
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
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
Polygonia progneGray Comma
Probole nepiasariaHeath Probole
Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
Rheumaptera hastataSpear-Marked Black Moth, Spear Mark
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 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
Acleris maccana
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 6a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: Pink or white
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Spreads to form colonies
Foliage color: Dark green
Fruit begins: August
Fruit ends: October

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Early spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Spreads to form colonies” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 6a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Light · “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 Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S4S5
Global rank	G4G5 [G5]
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Spreads by runners. Spreads by underground stolons. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Dwarf Azalea

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Rhododendron