Nature Profile
Plants
Lepidote rhododendron
Rhododendron ‘Bowie’
‘Bowie’, pronounced like “buoy”, is an intraspecific hybrid, scaly-leaved rhododendron, meaning it is the result of crossing the Appalachian native Rhododendron minus with the Florida Panhandle endemic Rhododendron minus var. chapmanii. Flip the leaves over and you’ll see tiny scales across the surface. A good grower at the David G. Leach Research Station for many years, ‘Bowie’ reaches 4-6 feet in height and bloom a bit later than common lepidotes like ‘PJM’. Like most rhododendrons, it will do best in moist but very well-drained, acidic soils with morning sun.
