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Ericaceae
Mountain Rosebay
Rhododendron catawbiense
Grandeur and caution.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Rhododendron
- Native to
- Eastern United States
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 6-10 ft
- Sunlight
- partial shade to full sun
- Soil
- acidic, moist, well-drained
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Mountain rosebay creates vast, impenetrable thickets on Appalachian mountain slopes called 'rhododendron hells' by hikers.
- It is the state flower of West Virginia and was also considered for the state flower of North Carolina.
- The Catawba River in North Carolina, where the species was first described, gave it both its common and scientific names.
- Its leathery evergreen leaves curl downward and inward in cold weather to reduce water loss, acting as a natural thermometer.
- It was one of the first American rhododendrons introduced to Europe, arriving in England around 1809.
Color meanings
0
caution
1
danger
2
mountain splendor