Ericaceae
Western azalea
Rhododendron occidentale
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Rhododendron
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Common names
By language (7)
- arz
- رودودندرون اوكسيدنتال
- Bulgarian
- Западен рододендрон
- Chinese
- 長柱杜鵑, 西方杜鹃
- English
- Western azalea
- French
- Azalée du pacifique
- German
- Westliche Azalee
- Russian
- Рододендрон западный
Synonyms
- Azalea californica Torr. & A.Gray ex Durand
- Azalea occidentalis Torr. & A.Gray
- Rhododendron occidentale var. californicum (Torr. & A.Gray ex Durand) Hrusa
- Rhododendron occidentale var. paludosum Jeps.
- Rhododendron occidentale var. sonomense (Greene) Rehder
- Rhododendron sonomense Greene
Flowers
- Flower colour
- white (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Shrub
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: native
Toxicity: Moderate, as listed by the USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29). USDA rates how toxic a plant is to people or livestock; it is not a pet-safety rating, so ask a vet or poison line if a pet or child ate it.
Plant problems
Notches in rhododendron leaves: causes and fixesNotches in rhododendron leaves usually mean root weevils. Learn how to spot them, remove adults, and check for root damage.
Rhododendron leaves curling in cold weatherRhododendron leaves often curl naturally in cold weather. Learn how to spot normal winter rolling, prevent drying, and recognize damage.
Photos
Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Britt Smith, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Daderot, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Rhododendron
- RhododendronRhododendron ponticumEricaceae
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- Satsuki azaleaRhododendron indicumEricaceae
- Rusty-leaved alpenroseRhododendron ferrugineumEricaceae
- BuransRhododendron arboreumEricaceae
- Rhododendron luteumEricaceae
- Hairy alpenroseRhododendron hirsutumEricaceae
- Lapland rosebayRhododendron lapponicumEricaceae
- Rusty labrador-teaRhododendron groenlandicumEricaceae
- Rhododendron dauricumEricaceae
- JindallaeRhododendron mucronulatumEricaceae
- Rhododendron schlippenbachiiEricaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.