Autumn Jewel Azalea

Autumn Jewel Azalea (Azalea x hybrida 'Autumn Jewel') is a repeat flowering azalea, which means a second season of bloom instead of the single spring flush older varieties give you. It is compact and evergreen at about 1m tall and 1m wide, and carries pink to red flowers heavy enough to hide the foliage. For a low hedge, that is hard to beat.

Why you'll love it

• Two flowering seasons. A full flush in spring, then a second show in autumn.
• It stays where you put it. At roughly 1m by 1m it holds its scale without constant clipping.
• A wide climate range. It takes subtropical humidity at one end and frost at the other, which is unusual for an azalea.
• Bees and butterflies work it. Two flushes of open flowers make it a useful nectar source at both ends of the season.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 80cm apart in a single row for a solid hedge of 80cm to 1m. It fills in from the base, so there is no bare skirt to hide.

Borders and mass planting. The same 80cm spacing works in drifts along a path or under established trees.

Pots and containers. A pot 400mm or wider with an acidic potting mix suits it, which also gives you control over soil pH that a garden bed does not.

Growing Autumn Jewel Azalea in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, and full shade costs you flowers. It performs in subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, from Brisbane down to the cool southern states, and it is frost hardy once established.

Soil. This is the part that matters. Azaleas need acidic soil, roughly pH 5.0 to 6.0, that is free draining and rich in organic matter. On alkaline or limestone soils, grow it in a pot instead of fighting the ground.

Water and feed. The roots are shallow and fine, so it will not survive drying out. Water deeply twice a week in summer, mulch 50mm deep with pine bark or leaf litter, and feed an azalea and camellia fertiliser after each flowering flush.

Pruning. A light trim straight after the spring flowers finish is all it needs. Do not cut it hard in late summer, because that removes the wood carrying the autumn buds.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow this one in a single size, a tube, so you are buying a young plant of a few branches rather than a flowering shrub. Tubestock establishes faster than larger azaleas because the fine roots are not yet pot bound, and it reaches useful size in its second season, with the first real flush the season after planting.

Most customers buy a run of tubes for a hedge, since tubestock is the economical way to plant a full row and the plants knit together evenly as they grow. Plants are delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete azalea care guide
• Compare the full azalea range
• How to lower soil pH for acid loving plants
• More low maintenance shrubs

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All azaleas contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to cats, dogs and horses if the leaves or flowers are eaten. Plant it where a pet that chews foliage cannot reach it.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

80cm apart in a single row. Close enough to knit into a continuous face, far enough that air still moves through, which keeps fungal problems down.

Why are the new leaves yellow with green veins?

That is iron deficiency, and it almost always means the soil is too alkaline rather than short of iron. Chelated iron is a quick fix; soil pH is the real problem.

Will it really flower twice in a cool climate?

Usually yes, though the autumn flush is earlier and lighter in cold districts. Warm autumns give the fuller second display.