Western Azalea
Rhododendron occidentale
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Ericaceae
- Genus:
- Rhododendron
- Species:
- Rhododendron occidentale
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 20-40 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- apr, may, jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- White, Pink, Orange, Yellow
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Native Range
United States: California, Oregon
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Caloptilia ferruginella, Coleotechnites huntella, Lyonetia candida, Green Comma (Polygonia faunus), Zephyr anglewing (Polygonia zephyrus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Butterflies:Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon), Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon), Anna Blue (Plebejus anna), Anna Blue (Plebejus anna), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha), Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha), Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella), Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella), Greenish Blue (Plebejus saepiolus), Greenish Blue (Plebejus saepiolus), Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe), Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe), Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini), Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini), Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Pacific Fritillary (Boloria epithore), Pacific Fritillary (Boloria epithore), Sonoran Skipper (Polites sonora), Sonoran Skipper (Polites sonora), Western Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus rutulus), Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides), Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides), 🛑Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene), 🛑Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 6.0 (acidic)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers organic matter-rich soils
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o