Dolpa — A team of botanists from Tribhuvan University has confirmed the discovery of a previously unrecorded rhododendron species growing at altitudes above 4,200 metres in the Shey Phoksundo region of Upper Dolpa, according to a paper published this week in the Nepal Journal of Plant Sciences.
The species, provisionally named Rhododendron dolpoense, was first spotted during a 2024 field survey and has since been confirmed through genetic sequencing to be distinct from related high-altitude varieties. It produces small, deep-crimson flowers and appears to be adapted to unusually thin, rocky soil.
Lead researcher Dr. Sabina Gurung said the find underscores how much of Nepal's high-Himalayan flora remains undocumented. "We are still discovering the basic building blocks of these ecosystems even as climate change reshapes them," she said. The team is now petitioning the government to designate the discovery site a protected botanical zone.