It is restricted to cloud forest habitats on a small number of mountain peaks within the Wet Tropics World Heritage site.

The other Australian species, Rhododendron viriosum, was described in 2002 and is also restricted to high altitude cloud forest, but on different peaks to R. lochiae.

The species was first described by Ferdinand von Mueller in 1887 who gave it the specific epithet lochae in honour of Lady Loch, a patron of horticulture in Australia and wife of the Governor of Victoria.

The type specimen was collected by William A. Sayer and A. Davidson who came across the species while ascending Mount Bellenden Ker.

[4][7][8] These are areas of extreme rainfall, with the annual total on Mount Bellenden Ker regularly exceeding 6 m (20 ft).