| Author | Ralf Bauer and Albach | |
| Distribution | In a 2021 journal paper, Bauer and Albach (2021) convincingly describe a new, dwarfish rhododendron that is restricted to slate slopes within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. See that paper for details and also their recognition of R. carolinianum as a good species. SERNEC has no specimens for NC, but iNaturalist contains one to several photos from Swain County, right along the TN state line; in bloom on 14 July (2023).
Occurs mostly on the TN side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, rare in NC. | |
| Abundance | In NC very rare: "only a few plants in Swain County, North Carolina." As a result, in 2022 the NCNHP began to track the species as Significantly Rare, with a State Rank of S1. NatureServe has added this to its database, with a Global Rank of G2G3. | |
| Habitat | Slopes and ledges of Anakeesta slate, at high elevations close to the TN state line. Often, but not always, in full sun. The paper states that the plants are almost always difficult to reach owing to growing on steep, rocky slopes and bluffs. | |
| Phenology | Flowers mainly in late June, well after flowering of R. carolinianum and also after flowering of R. minus. | |
| Identification | The plants are small compact, evergreen shrubs, about 1.5 to 6 feet tall. Flowers are deep pink to rosy and with a short to nearly lacking corolla tube (like that of carolinianum but unlike the long tube of minus). Leaves are similar to these other shrubs. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | See Distribution.
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| Other Common Name(s) | None. NatureServe uses the name "Mountains" in the common name, and the website editors have edited the common name first suggested, from "Mountain" to "Mountains". | |
| State Rank | S1 | |
| Global Rank | G2G3 | |
| State Status | SR-T | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
