Autumn Princess Encore Azalea

Autumn Princess Encore Azalea (Rhododendron 'Autumn Princess') flowers three times a year rather than once. It settles at about 90cm tall and 1.2m across, carrying soft pink blooms in spring, again through summer and once more in autumn. That repeat habit is the point: a low evergreen border in colour for most of the year, not three weeks in September.

Why you'll love it

• Three flowering flushes a year. Spring is heaviest, then lighter waves through summer and autumn. Older azaleas give one show and nine months of green.
• A size that stays put. About 90cm tall and 1.2m wide, and slow growing, so it will not outgrow a front border or crowd a path.
• Genuinely happy in part shade. Morning sun with afternoon protection suits it, which makes it useful in the beds where sun lovers sulk.
• Frost hardy and heat tolerant. It takes frost in cool temperate gardens, copes with humid subtropical summers, and feeds bees and butterflies through every flush.

Where it works best

Low hedging, edging and mass planting. Plant 80cm apart, whether that is a single row along a path or a drift through a bed. At that spacing the plants meet without competing, and the loose natural shape spares you constant clipping.

Pots and small gardens. A pot 400mm or wider holds it for several years. Potting mix drains faster than garden soil, which suits an azalea, though summer watering is more frequent.

Growing Autumn Princess Encore Azalea in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade, ideally morning sun with afternoon shade, since full afternoon sun through an inland summer scorches the leaf edges. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens. Southern gardeners can give it more sun than a Queensland gardener can. In the wet tropics or the dry inland it is the wrong plant.

Soil. Acidic and free draining. Work compost and aged pine bark through the bed, skip lime, and never plant into a low spot that holds water. On clay, plant on a raised mound. Mulch 50mm deep and keep it off the stem, because the roots run close to the surface.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer and while buds are forming, then taper off. Feed a fertiliser made for azaleas and camellias after spring flowering and again in mid summer.

Pruning. Very little. Trim lightly straight after the spring flush, then stop. Cutting later removes the buds that would have carried the summer and autumn flowers.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten and 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Both sizes are on backorder at present, so expect a wait rather than an immediate dispatch. The 140mm plants suit a long border where you want numbers; the 200mm plants are a season ahead and branch sooner.

Azaleas travel well, and a little leaf drop after transit is normal. This is a slow grower, so give it two seasons before judging the display. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties across our azalea range.
• Find companions in plants for partial shade.
• Read low growing plant ideas for garden borders.
• Browse more flowering plants.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Azaleas and rhododendrons contain grayanotoxins, and the leaves and flowers are toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten. Plant it away from pet runs, or choose something else if your animals graze the garden.

How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?

Eighty centimetres apart in a single row. That lets each plant reach its natural 1.2m width and knit into its neighbours without the bases thinning out.

Does it really flower three times a year?

It flowers in spring, summer and autumn in most seasons, with spring the heaviest by a clear margin. The later flushes are lighter and depend on warmth, water and correct pruning timing.