Catawba Rhododendron is a multi-trunked large shrub or small tree that grows on steep north-facing slopes in the Piedmont of North Carolina. It has an unusual disjunct range in the Mountains, where it grows at higher elevations than the Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum), which doesn't make it down to the Piedmont.

Alleghany Co., NC 5/29/05.

Showy clusters of large pink-purple flowers appear in late spring.

Alleghany Co., NC 5/29/05.

Flower buds.

Alleghany Co., NC 5/29/05.

The leaves are large, leathery, and evergreen. When the temperature is below freezing, the leaves droop, regaining their angle as the sun warms them up.

Alleghany Co., NC 9/3/06.

The bark is dark and rough.

Alleghany Co., NC 9/3/06.