Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Rhododendron vaseyi
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Pinkshell Azalea at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
R. vaseyi is a member of what the Azalea Society of America refers to as "the pink group". Read more here.
When not in flower, R. vaseyi is readily distinguished from our other azaleas by its distinctive foliage; the leaves are elliptic (broadest near their midpoint rather than oblanceolate), often broadly so (commonly 3-6 cm wide), acuminate, often with purplish coloration, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhododendron vaseyi
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Rhododendron vaseyi
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-05-004:
Rhododendron vaseyi FAMILY Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Biltia vaseyi
COMMON NAME:
Pinkshell Azalea
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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JK Marlow jkm210423_9669
April Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm210423_9670
April Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm0505n_33
May Transylvania County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Endemic to NC mountains, though approaching very close to SC & reported for GA, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm0505n_35
May Transylvania County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Corolla tube 2-5mm long, much shorter than corolla lobes, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm070518_037
May Avery County NC
Grandfather Mountain
Locally abundant on Grandfather Mtn, its northernmost outpost, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm070518_072
May Avery County NC
Grandfather Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm070518_087
May Avery County NC
Grandfather Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm170507_783
May Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5061
May Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5072
May Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5077
May Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5080
May Jackson County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm230525_3519
May Jackson County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Pedicels stipitate glandular. Caylx lobes glandular-ciliate and often glandular on the back, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm230525_3520
May Jackson County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
)
Keith Bradley kab_r_vaseyi_7801
May Transylvania County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Corolla lobes spreading, the largest (and often the 2 lateral) spotted, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Will Stuart wil_8795322648_25dac60d1f
May NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
)
JK Marlow jkm140816_749
August Jackson County NC
High Hampton Inn
Leaves elliptic, often broadly so (commonly 3-6cm wide), acuminate, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
JK Marlow jkm150814_723
August Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm150814_727
August Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm140913_689
September Jackson County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Rhododendron vaseyi
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rhododendron vaseyi
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Rhododendron vaseyi
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-05-004:
Rhododendron vaseyi
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Biltia vaseyi
1233
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: Moist slopes, bogs, high elevation rocky summits, cliffs, high elevation heath balds, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina & possibly Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Pink
Slightly bilaterally symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-lobed broadly campanulate corolla, appearing 2-lipped
5-7 stamens, longer than or equaling corolla lobes
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- American Azaleas (Towe, 2004) p021
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p256
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p215
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p104
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p176
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p28
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p304
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p288
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".