In 2016, Alexander Susko led a project, Targets of Selection and Environmental Association in Rhododendron sect. Pentanthera, studying genetic variation that has been selected upon in naturally occurring Rhododendron sect. Pentanthera species and populations. This project includes two research objectives for ascertaining adaptive genetic variation in a group of woody species:
 

1. Identify genetic targets of selection using transcriptome-wide polymorphism data across North American deciduous azalea species

2. Associate transcriptome-wide polymorphism data that are unique to North American deciduous azalea species or groups of species with environmental factors.

In 2015, Daniel Sullivan began his project, Establishing a collection of dried emerging leaf tissue as a resource for molecular studies of the living collections at the Arnold Arboretum, to establish a resource for future molecular studies. This project enhances the utility of its collections by creating a resource for current and future molecular studies.
 

1. Appropriate accessions will be identified and flagged, and leaf tissue will be collected in the spring as the leaves are just emerging from the buds.

2. Collected tissue will be dried in small packets over silica gel, five packets per accession, with appropriate information on each packet (Genus & species; accession number, date collected; tissue type; collector).

In 2012, Dov Sax, Jesse Bellemare, and Liz Ryan led a project, Using native, naturalized and horticultural ranges to characterize the realized, fundamental and tolerance niches, to characterize differences among the realized, fundamental and tolerance niche by comparing the climate conditions that species encounter in their native, naturalized and horticultural ranges. This project has three main components.
 

1. Build species distribution models (SDMs) using climate records from county-level occurrences for over 600 native species that are naturalized in New England and California. We will contrast these native-based SDMs against conditions experienced in their naturalized ranges to estimate the frequency and magnitude of differences between realized and fundamental niches.

2. Build a database of US-native plants sold at nurseries in mid-Atlantic and New England states. This will allow us to examine tolerance for conditions beyond those experienced in species realized distributions.

3. Measure frost damage, growth and reproduction of US-natives grown beyond their native distributions in botanical gardens.

As part of its commitment to the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University maintains and develops its collection of Rhododendron vaseyi.  Our primary goal is to preserve the highest level of intraspecific diversity as is practicable and provide access to researchers, educators, and the general public.
 
In 2018, our Rhododendron vaseyi collection includes: 26 accessions representing 26 distinct lineages, 4 plants growing in our nursery, and 41 plants growing outdoors in the living collections. Each plant within an accession is maintained individually, separated by provenance, and their placement in the landscape (10 distinct locations within the 281 acre landscape) ensures individual populations/genetics remain separate.
 

A narrow endemic, Rhododendron vaseyi is rare and restricted to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Known from over thirty-five occurrences, the plant is threatened by development in the mountains, plant collecting, and the damming of mountain streams.

The main danger comes from irresponsible and uncontrolled development of vacation and retirement housing. Bog drainage results in total destruction of habitats. Amateur gardeners and nurserymen illegally collect plants from the wild.

Individual numbers are unknown.

Schreiber et al. (2000) conducted a genetic study of 15 currently recognized species in Rhododendron L. section Pentanthera G. Don. and found that they were all closely related.

There is no formal management plan.

Management needs include assessing and monitoring populations as well as devising a conservation plan that would offer protection for this plant.

One of the hardy American rhododendrons, very shade tolerant, also tolerant of soil compaction, poor drainage, and floods. It demands wet to moist growing conditions and strongly to moderately acid soil reaction (4.5-6.0). However, once established, pinkshell azalea can tolerate a wide variety of conditions and even survive droughts. Having been cultivated in the Arnold Arboretum since 1880, it proved to be hardy in Boston and is valued for cultivation all over the USA and in Europe. The flowers are frost resistant, so that it is successfully grown in Scandinavia. Cultivars: 'White find' is originating from a wild-collected form with white flowers. Another form with white flowers, f. album, was found among seedlings grown at the Arnold Arboretum and also at Kew Gardens and was used for the cultivar 'Album'. 'Suva' has pink flowers. Apparently, R. vaseyi does not hybridize and stays stable when grown from seed. Propagation from seed: sow into milled Sphagnum, maintain humidity under cover, water carefully. Seedlings are tiny and growing slowly. Put them a few per pot first, to reduce the risk of overwatering; repot once they achieve sufficient size. Propagation from softwood cuttings: take cuttings in May-June, keep them under fog or mist in 50/50 sand-perlite. With 2,500-5,000 ppm K-IBA or H # 3 treatment, the rooting rate is 70-80%. Cuttings become more secure once they survive through the first winter.