Home/Species/ Hoary Azalea

Rhododendron canescens

(Michx.) Sweet

Hoary Azalea

G5Secure Found in 10 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

UnknownThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147039

Element CodePDERI150A0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderEricales

FamilyEricaceae

GenusRhododendron

Other Common Names

mountain azalea (EN) Mountain Azalea (EN) Wild Azalea (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

Varieties of Rhododendron canescens are not recognized by multiple treatments (Kartesz 1999, FNA 2009, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2023-04-04

Change Date1985-10-11

Edition Date2023-04-04

Edition AuthorsEberly (2023)

Threat ImpactUnknown

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Rhododendron canescens is a deciduous shrub or small tree endemic to the southeastern United States. With a large range extent, over 800 occurrences, abundant habitat, and no significant threats, this species is considered secure.

Range Extent Comments

Rhododendron canescens is endemic to the southeastern United States, occurring in southeastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Missouri, southern Illinois, southwestern Kentucky, northern Tennessee, and North Carolina south through the Coastal Plains of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast, as far south as peninsular Florida (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022). Range extent was calculated using occurrences within the species native range observed between 1992 and 2023 using GBIF (2023) and NatureServe (2023) data.

Occurrences Comments

This species is considered common throughout much of its range that spans the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Mountains, Interior Highlands, and Interior Lowlands (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022). It is considered rare in North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Kentucky. Based on NatureServe Network occurrence data, herbarium records, and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023, there are over 800 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2023). This species was last seen in Illinois in 1940, thus it is considered historical (B. Charles, pers. comm., 2023).

Threat Impact Comments

Threats are not well documented but there is no evidence of significant threats to this species. The species wetland habitat is often protect it from anthropogenic threats.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species grows in pocosins, swamps and pine savannas, and along streams at from elevation of 0 to 600 m (FNA 2009, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).

Terrestrial Habitats

Savanna

Palustrine Habitats

FORESTED WETLANDRiparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Delaware	SH	Yes
Texas	SNR	Yes
Florida	S4	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
Louisiana	SNR	Yes
Oklahoma	S2	Yes
Tennessee	SNR	Yes
Alabama	SNR	Yes
North Carolina	S2	Yes
Kentucky	S1	Yes
Mississippi	SNR	Yes
Georgia	SNR	Yes
Illinois	SH	Yes
Arkansas	SNR	Yes

Plant Characteristics

DurationPERENNIAL, DECIDUOUS, SPRING-FLOWERING

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (10)

Alabama (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Blue Mountain	Talladega National Forest	4,986
Oakey Mountain	Talladega National Forest	6,129
Reed Brake	Talladega National Forest	621

Florida (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Clear Lake	Apalachicola National Forest	5,592
Gum Bay	Apalachicola National Forest	11,645
Pinhook	Osceola National Forest	15,405

Georgia (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Ken Mountain	Chattahoochee National Forest	527

Louisiana (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Saline Bayou W & S River Corridor	Kisatchie National Forest	5,355

Mississippi (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Sandy Creek Rare Ii Area	Homochitto National Forest	2,620

Tennessee (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Little Frog Addition NW	Cherokee National Forest	628

References (7)

Charles, B. Personal Communication. Botanist. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
NatureServe. 2023. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.