The colors below indicate the kind of documentation available for this species
in the California counties where it occurs.
Western Azalea Rhododendron occidentale (Ericaceae)
Western Azalea shows a preference for seepage areas and the banks of streams. Its spicy floral fragrance is frequently detected long before one spots the large pinkish-white flowers that are flushed with a basal patch of yellow. In Oregon it is called honeysuckle. Botanists and plant enthusiasts in California prefer using its scientific name or Western Azalea because the name honeysuckle is traditionally reserved for Lonicera (true honeysuckle), a genus of erect or twining berry-fruited shrubs in a totally different family, the Caprifoliaceae.
DISTRIBUTION: Streambanks and seeps in coniferous forests from the North and Central Coast, North and South Coast Ranges and San Francisco Bay Area to the San Jacinto Mts. of southern Calif.; < 2200 m.
