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Rhododendron prinophyllum

(Small) Millais

Early Azalea

G5Secure Found in 27 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.130761
Element CodePDERI150P0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderEricales
FamilyEricaceae
GenusRhododendron
Synonyms
Azalea prinophyllaSmallRhododendron nudiflorum var. roseum(Loisel.) Wieg.Rhododendron roseum(Loisel.) Rehd.
Other Common Names
early azalea (EN) Election Pink (EN) Roseshell 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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-07-24
Change Date1984-08-29
Edition Date2024-07-24
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
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 prinophyllum is a shrub occurring in bogs, woodlands, thickets, bluffs, ridges, ledges, slopes, ravines, and along streams, rivers, and lakes of eastern North America in the United States from Maine south to North Carolina, as disjunct populations in Georgia and Alabama, and from Texas northeast to Illinois. It is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, forest management practices, invasive species, and rights-of-way maintenance. With a large range extent, more than 400 occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Rhododendron prinophyllum occurs in eastern North America in the United States from Maine south to North Carolina, as disjunct populations in Georgia and Alabama, and from Texas northeast to Illinois (FNA 2009, Native Plant Trust 2024, Weakley and the Southeast Flora Team 2024). Range extent was estimated to be over 1.2 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations collected between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are over 400 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Rhododendron prinophyllum is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and by forest management practices (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). Additional threats are not well known but likely include invasive species, rights-of-way maintenance, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the broad range and large number of occurrences of the species and its somewhat flexible and abundant habitat, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rhododendron prinophyllum occurs in acidic thickets or bogs, swampy to dry, rocky woods, in xeric oak and pine woodlands, bluffs, ridges or ledges, talus and rocky slopes, ravines, or along streams, rivers, and lakes (FNA 2009, Native Plant Trust 2024, Weakly and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandWoodland - MixedBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MissouriSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
VermontS4Yes
North CarolinaS1Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
DelawareSHYes
MaineSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
New JerseyS3Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
KentuckyS3Yes
MarylandSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
OhioS3Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (27)
Arkansas (5)
AreaForestAcres
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Indian CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,855
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
New Hampshire (3)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Vermont (4)
AreaForestAcres
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Lye Brook Addition 09085Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,111
Wilder Mountain 09082Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests8,759
Woodford 09086Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests2,456
Virginia (11)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Garden MountainJefferson National Forest3,960
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
References (8)
  1. 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.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. 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.
  5. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  6. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.