杜鵑屬常綠灌木，臺灣特有種，分佈於本島中央山脈的中高海拔開闊地。全株密被褐色短剛毛。卵狀披針形至長橢圓狀披針形葉，互生或叢生於小枝先端，全緣或邊緣略反捲，表面深綠色而有灰色毛茸，背面沿脈被灰或褐色刺毛。花1~4枚頂生；花冠闊漏斗形，淡紅、粉紅、紫紅等濃淡變化，有粉紅斑點。花期3~6月，愈往高海拔開花愈遲。卵狀圓柱形蒴果。

An endemic evergreen shrub in the genus Rhododendron, distributed in the clearings in the middle to high altitude of the Central Mountain range in Taiwan. The whole plant is packed with brown short bristles. Leaves oval lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, alternate or tufted at the branchlet tips, leaf margin entire or slightly recurved, dark green on the upper side with gray trichomes, and gray or brown bristles produced along the veins beneath. Flowers 1 to 4 terminal; corolla broadly funnel-shaped, rich in colors like pale red, pink, purple red, with pink flecks. Flowering from March to June, the higher the altitude, the later the flowering. Capsule oval-cylindrical.

喜冷涼氣候，全日照或半日照，耐寒、抗風、耐旱、耐貧瘠。喜偏酸性土壤，但以肥沃之壤土且排水良好者為佳。以種子或扦插繁殖。

The plant grows well in cold, full sun or partial sun environment; tolerant to cold, wind, drought and barren and preferably fertile and well-drained acidic soils. Reproduced by seeds or cuttings.

適合於高冷地作為庭園景觀樹、盆花或綠籬。

Suitable for the use as garden trees, flowering bonsais or hedges in the alpine areas.