Rhododendron - Species

In the Northern hemisphere species exist in Europe Asia and North America, of these temperate species over 90% are to be found in Sino-Himalaya, South China and Japan, where they grow on mountain ranges with steep gorges. Tropical species are found on the Malay Peninsula and also in Indonesia. One species has been found in Australia.

As well as wide distribution they occupy a variety of habitat types. The variations between species are a result of their adapting to different habitats. Species which grow at high altitudes generally have small leaves. They are often lepidote which means they have tiny scales on the underside of the leaves. Examples of such are R. leucapsis and R. lapponicum.

In lowland areas where conditions are wetter Rhododendrons are able to have bigger leaves. The leaves may have thick hairs or indumentum but no scales. As they are lacking scales they are known as elepidote. Examples of such are R. bureavii and R. calophytum.