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It's June and it seems like just about everywhere you look in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park you see rhododendrons in bloom.
The dazzling purple of Catawba Rhododendron dominates elevations
above 3,500 feet, while the delicate white of Rosebay Rhododendron
is common from the park's lowest elevations to 5,000 feet.
Rosebay Rhododendron leaves are large, oblong and evergreen.
Consistently moist soils allow Rosebays to thrive.
Streams and shaded ravines provide ideal locations.
The Rosebay ranges in size from a large shrub to a small tree.
Cherokees carved pipes, spoons and toys from its wood and placed
the large leaves on their foreheads as a treatment for headaches.
In June, lower elevation Rosebays flaunt blossoms ranging from white
to a pink blush. Mid-elevation Rosebays follow in July.
But wherever you see them, take a moment to enjoy the delicate beauty
of the Smokies most common rhododendron.
You can find more information about flowering shrubs and trees in
Trees of the Smokies available at the GSMA website
and at visitor centers throughout the park.