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Minniebush

Rhododendron pilosum

Found in heath balds, bogs, rocky summits, and rocky woodlands, mostly at high elevations. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

97
Keystone

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

Profile 88%

Height
Up to about 6 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to July
Fruiting season
August to October

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 33 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

Mountain balds

Andrews Bald, Forney Ridge Trail, July 2020
Grassy mountain bald with shrub islands. Shown: Andrews Bald, Forney Ridge Trail, Swain County, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Andrews Bald, Forney Ridge Trail, July 2020, Andrea Walton / Great Smoky Mountains National Park, July 2020. Public domain. Source record.

Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits

Sassafras Mountain rock outcrop
Rock outcrop on a mountain summit. Shown: Sassafras Mountain, on the North Carolina and South Carolina line, a neighboring state.Sassafras Mountain rock outcrop, 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.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 145 animals.

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
Flower color
White, red, yellow or 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
Also known as

Menziesia pilosa

Conservation status

Virginia rankS4S5
Global rankG4G5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Sources