Autumn Starlite Azalea

Autumn Starlite Azalea (Rhododendron x 'Autumn Starlite') is an Encore type, so it flowers in spring and then again through summer and autumn rather than once and done. The blooms are white, streaked and flecked with pink, and no two are marked the same. It stays compact at about 90cm tall and 1m wide. Azaleas are toxic to cats and dogs.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers more than once. Encore azaleas set buds on new growth, so the spring display is followed by repeat flushes across the warmer months.
• Compact enough for a small garden. About 90cm by 1m, which fits a courtyard bed or a low border without constant cutting back.
• White with pink flecking. Each bloom is individually streaked and speckled, so a massed planting never reads flat, and bees work the flowers across a long window.
• A wide climate range. Frost hardy at one end, heat and humidity tolerant at the other, so it works from cool temperate gardens into the subtropics.

Where it works best

Pots and small gardens. A pot 400mm or wider with an acidic mix suits it, and the natural 90cm height means no pruning just to keep it in bounds.

Borders and mass planting. Plant 70cm apart, about two plants per square metre, for a low flowering block or a soft path edge. At that spacing the plants meet at their natural width without crowding at the base.

Feature planting under trees. Grouped in threes beneath high canopy it holds colour where the garden usually stays plain green.

Growing Autumn Starlite Azalea in Australia

Position and climate. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or bright dappled light all day. Encore types take more sun than older azaleas, and that extra light drives the repeat flowering, but hard afternoon sun still scorches leaf edges.

Soil. Acidic and free draining, with plenty of organic matter. Azalea roots sit in the top 200mm of soil, so they dry out fast and drown just as easily. Mulch 75mm deep, off the stem. Yellow leaves with green veins point to alkaline soil.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone evenly moist through the first two summers, and never let a potted plant dry out at bud set. Feed an azalea and camellia fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer. Because it flowers on new growth, steady feeding buys more flowers.

Pruning. Prune lightly straight after the spring flush and no more than tidy it after that. Cutting later removes the new wood carrying the summer and autumn flowers.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown as tube stock, so it arrives as a young plant of roughly 10 to 20cm rather than a flowering shrub. That is the affordable way to plant a border or a massed bed. Expect a light first flowering, a proper display in its second season with you, and full size at around three years.

Tube stock travels very well because the root ball is small and intact. Plant it out promptly, and keep the water up through the first two summers. 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

• The complete azalea care guide
• Browse the full azalea range
• Other plants suited to small gardens
• Compare plants that do well in containers

Common questions

Does it really flower more than once a year?

Yes. Encore azaleas set buds on new growth, so after the main spring display they push further flushes through summer and into autumn. The later flushes are lighter, and depend on enough light, water and feed.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All azaleas and rhododendrons are toxic to cats, dogs and horses, with the leaves being the dangerous part. If your pet chews plants, keep this one in a raised pot or choose something else.

When should I prune it?

Only just after the spring flush, and only lightly. Any later cut removes the fresh growth that carries the repeat flowering, so a plant trimmed in summer gives a spring display and nothing else.