| Rosebay Rhododendron, also known as Greal Laurel or Great Rhododendron is a multi-trunked small tree or large shrub that is very common in the understory forests of slopes in the Mountain and upper Piedmont regions of North Carolina. Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes Co., NC 7/3/09
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| Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes Co., NC 7/3/09
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| Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes Co., NC 6/14/09.
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| Rosebay tends to grow at intermediate elevations, while Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense) is more common higher and lower - on mountain peaks as well as in the lower Piedmont. Catawba Rhododendron has broader leaves, pink-purple flowers, and blooms earlier. Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes Co., NC 6/14/09.
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| Rosebay Rhododendron blooms in early summer, about a month later than Catawba. Flower color ranges from light pink to white, though white is most common. Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes Co., NC 6/14/09.
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| Hanging Rock State Park, Stokes Co., NC 6/14/09.
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| Carroll Co., VA 6/26/05.
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| Alleghany Co., NC 7/3/05.
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| The flower buds are pinker than the opened flowers. The leaves are large, leathery, and evergreen, similar to Catawba Rhododendron but narrower. When the temperature is below freezing, the leaves droop, regaining their angle as the sun warms them up. Carroll Co., VA 6/26/05.
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| Rhododendrons frequently form impenetrably dense thickets, locally known as "laurel hells". Carroll Co., VA 10/16/06.
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More information:
NC State
Rosebay.org
Virginia Tech Dendrology
University of Connecticut
Recommended Tree, Shrub, and Woody Vine Identification Guides
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