[1] It is an epiphyte, normally found on tree, cliffs, and boulders, in the lower parts of the Himalayas at altitudes between 5,000 and 9,000 feet.

Since its first identification by Hooker, it has been found throughout the southern border of Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and northeastern India, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh.

However Hooker described R. dalhousiae as “the noblest species of the whole race" and introduced it to England in 1850 where it was extremely popular when it first bloomed, three years after its arrival at Dysart House in Fife, Scotland.

[6] Populations in northern Sikkim described by Pradhan & Lachungpa in Sikkim-Himalayan Rhododendrons (1990) were reported as uniformly lemon-green, leading to the designation of the subspecies R. dalhousiae var.

Plant phenology, the discipline of the timing of recurring biological events, is significantly affected by seasonal environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation levels.