''Rhododendron catawbiense'', with common names Catawba rosebay, Catawba rhododendron, mountain rosebay, purple ivy, purple laurel, purple rhododendron, red laurel, rosebay, rosebay laurel, is a species of '' Rhododendron'' native to the eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, growing mainly in the southern

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

south to northern

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

. It is a dense, suckering shrub growing to 3 m tall, rarely 5 m. The leaves are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

, 6–12 cm long and 2–4 cm broad. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are 3-4.5 cm diameter, violet-purple, often with small spots or streaks. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a dry capsule 15–20 mm long, containing numerous small

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s. The species is named after the

Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...

Classification

''Rhododendron catawbiense'' belongs to the '' Subgenus Hymenanthes'', within which it is further assigned to '' Section Ponticum'' and '' Subsection Pontica''. The latter — one of the 24 subsections of ''Ponticum'' — also contains about a dozen other species. The taxonomy has been confused by a tendency to group all large leaved Rhododendrons under the

catch-all A catch-all or catchall is a general term, or metaphoric dumping group, for a variety of similar words or meanings. Catch-all may also refer to: * Catch-all party, or big tent party * Catch-all email filter *Catch-all taxon Wastebasket taxon (a ...

''R. catawbiense''.

Cultivation and uses

''Rhododendron catawbiense'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

, popular both in North America and in parts of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. It is primarily grown for its spring flower display. Outside of its native range, many

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s and hybrids have been created,R. catawbiense cultivars
. accessed 1.31.2013 such as 'Purple Elegans', 'Roseus Elegans', and 'Grandiflorum'.

References

* *Milne, R. I., & Abbott, R. J. (2000). Origin and evolution of invasive naturalized material of Rhododendron ponticum L. in the British Isles. ''Molecular Ecology'' 9: 541-55
Abstract

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Rhododendron catawbiense''American Rhododendron Society: Rhododendron catawbiense
— ''garden selections''. {{Taxonbar, from=Q194521 catawbiense Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of the Southeastern United States Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains Endemic flora of the United States Taxa named by André Michaux Garden plants of North America Plants described in 1803

Classification

Cultivation and uses

See also

References

External links