Catawba Rhododendron

Rhododendron catawbiense Michx.

light
Part–shade
water
Medium
tall
2.4 m
wide
2.7 m

Ericaceae

Also called Catawba Rosebay, Mountain Rosebay, Purple Ivy, Purple Laurel, Purple Rhododendron

Formerly Azalea catawbiensis, Hymenanthes catawbiensis

When it flowers

Not known yet in the tropics: too few flowering observations to read a season from.

Read from iNaturalist photographs of it in flower. A month counts at 50% of the best month's flowering share (smoothed over three months) and 10% of its flowering count, from at least 100 flowering observations in the band.

PetsNC State Extension lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (25 Oct 2026)
PeopleNC State Extension lists it as mildly poisonous (bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, stems) (25 Oct 2026)

If a child, a pet or anyone may have eaten a plant, contact a doctor or vet straight away, or call the National Poisons Information Centre (AIIMS, New Delhi) on 1800 116 117, free and open 24 hours.

Something wrong with it?

About it

Grows as
Shrub or treeKew's checklist, not yet checked
Climate
TemperateKew's checklist, not yet checked
Wild in
West Virginia to SE. U.S.A.Kew's checklist, not yet checked
Light
Part shade to shade (under 6 h)Read from NC State Extension, one source
Height
1.8 m to 3.0 mRead from NC State Extension, one source
Spread
2.4 m to 3.0 mRead from NC State Extension, one source
Water
Average: moist, well drainedRead from NC State Extension, one source
Flowers
Pink, purpleRead from NC State Extension, one source
Coldest it survives
-34.4 °C (USDA zone 4a)Read from NC State Extension, one source

Not known yet: heat, hottest it survives.

In other languages (12)

Norwegian Bokmål
parkrhododendron
Czech
pěnišník americký
Estonian
katavba rodo, katavba rododendron, virgiinia rodo
Swedish
parkrhododendron, catawbarododendron
Chinese (China)
酒红杜鹃
Polish
Różanecznik katawbijski
Russian
Рододендрон кэтевбинский
Danish
catawbarhododendron
Finnish
virginianalppiruusu
Slovak
rododendron catawbský
Lithuanian
Amerikinis rododendras
Chinese
卡托巴杜鹃, 椭圆叶杜鹃

Where this comes from

A fact “checked by a majority of its sources” was settled by a vote of the pages it was read from, not by a person reading it; one marked “one source” rests on that page alone. Anything else not marked checked has not been checked yet. Where nothing is known, the page says so rather than guess.