Autumn Royalty® Encore® Azalea

With a robust, upright form that grows larger than other Azaleas, the dark green foliage and large, richly colored blooms of Encore® Autumn Royalty® Azalea (Rhododendron 'Conlec') dazzle visitors in your landscape. This is a hard-working variety that delivers up to 3 flushes of blooms a year.

Not only is the plant itself the largest Encore® Azalea, but even the 6-inch oval evergreen leaves and 4-inch flowers are also a bit bigger than other varieties! You'll really appreciate seeing the multiple waves of lavender purple blooms in early spring as they keep having encores of blooms, mid-summer and again in the fall. With bright light purple, funnel-shaped blooms cloaking it, the Encore® Azalea delivers an impressive performance. Butterflies and Hummingbirds are drawn to the nectar source!

Encore® Autumn Royalty® Azalea won "Rhododendron of the Year" by the Rhododendron Society of America and once you plant it, you'll understand why! Autumn Royalty® not only provides an abundance of blooms but does so with little or no care from you. You can just plant it in the right spot and sit back to watch the show! Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 6 to 9, these broad-leaved evergreens grow 4-5 feet in height and 3-4 feet wide.

Planting and Application:

This beautiful plant is known for its repeating blooms and sun tolerance. Autumn Royalty® thrives in the all-day sun with mid-afternoon shade. It's a versatile size for most landscapes and can be used in many different garden applications.

A single plant can be a spectacular evergreen specimen anywhere you want to add color from spring through fall. You'll highlight the repeat bloom to perfection this way. Why not make a marvelous focal point by mixing Autumn Royalty® with an Encore® Autumn Twist® and that deep, delicious purple of Polarnacht? White flowering varieties also look fabulous with Autumn Royalty®!

Because of the low maintenance, carefree nature of this shrub, this is an ideal plant for mass plantings in either commercial or home landscapes. They are wonderfully mass planted as a backdrop for smaller varieties. Create a solid screen by planting 3 feet apart on center. You'll measure from the center of one to the center of the next. Use several of them to create a friendly fence. Use them as an informal flowering hedge along your property line. Or, use a short row of them right behind your patio seating to give a welcome sense of privacy.

Use them as outstanding specimen plants by themselves, or to create a beautiful backdrop. After all, even in winter evergreen Autumn Royalty® continues to provide a lively presence in your yard. Use as an understory plant at the edge of a woodland planting or under large shade trees. Just ensure they get at least 4 hours of sunlight a day.

They are a perfect shrub to use in large containers to decorate your patio or porch. Your style can shine through in the choice of containers you use. Go for a modern look with tall, spare rectangular pots in 3 different sizes. Or, make it really personal with a bold mix of glazed containers in your favorite color.

• Larger Growing Azalea Variety
• Voted Azalea of the Year by the American Rhododendron Society
• Repeat Blooming, Large Rich Purple Blooms
• Fast Growing Evergreen Deep Green Foliage
• Can Be Planted Underneath Taller Trees
• Magnificent in Mass Plantings

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Encore® Autumn Royalty® broad-leaved evergreen Azalea will make you look good. And it doesn't ask for much in return.

Give them a planting spot that receives full sun and then shaded conditions from mid-afternoon onward, especially in the warmest growing zones. Choose a location with good airflow to help avoid spring frost damage to the flower buds.

Plant in soil that is well drained. Azaleas will simply not tolerate any long periods in water. If poor drainage is suspected, use a raised bed or plant on a sloping planting site. Another wonderful option to improve drainage would be to mound up to avoid root rot by planting high in a mounded heap of soil 18 to 24 inches above the lay of your land.

If you don't get adequate rainfall, please provide a moderate amount of water on a regular basis for the first season as the roots get established in your native soil. After that, the plants display some drought tolerance but water them well every so often during extended dry periods.

Use a thin layer of pine straw mulch if you can find it in your area. Keep all mulch several inches away from the main trunk for proper air circulation. Azaleas really prefer slightly acidic soils. Have a soil test done to make sure your soil is between 5.0 and 5.5. You'll want to amend the soil when needed, and in cases of high pH, add Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Planting Mix to 1/3rd of the total volume of backfill when planting. Watch for chlorosis (yellowing leaves) always the first sign of a pH problem. Fertilize in the late fall and mid-summer with Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Fertilizer to help maintain pH.

Autumn Royalty® needs little care or pruning and grows naturally beautiful but will accept some pruning if you so desire. Prune to shape immediately after the first spring flowering. You can control for size and remove broken branches at that time.

• Full Sun & Partial Shade
• Moderate to Moist Soil
• Well-Drained Very Enriched Soil
• Prune Right After Flowering
• Year-Round Foliage!
• Heat & Cold Tolerant
• Deer & Rabbit Resistant

Order this hot variety today! We sell out almost as fast as the new crop is put online. If you see it in stock, go ahead and place your order. You'll never regret this choice. Order the Encore® Autumn Royalty® Azalea for your landscape today from NatureHills.com!