Autumn Lily Azalea

Autumn Lily Azalea (Rhododendron 'Autumn Lily', an Encore Azalea) is the white azalea for gardeners who want more than one flowering season. It grows to about 1.2m tall and wide, carrying white blooms flecked and streaked with purple, and as part of the Encore series it repeats after the main spring flush instead of flowering once and stopping.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers more than once. The Encore breeding gives a strong spring display and further flushes through the warmer months, which is unusual in an azalea.
• White with purple flecking. Every bloom is marked differently, so a plant in flower reads as varied rather than flat.
• A tidy 1.2m by 1.2m. Big enough to matter in a bed, small enough for a courtyard or a large pot.
• Wide climate range. Frost hardy for cool southern gardens, humidity tolerant for the subtropics.
• Bees and butterflies use it. Open trumpets over a long season make it a real forage plant.

Where it works best

Flowering hedges. Plant 80cm apart for a hedge that closes into a low flowering wall. Held at about 1m it makes a soft internal divider without blocking the view across a garden.

Mass planting and borders. The same 80cm spacing suits a drift under established trees, where dappled light is exactly what an azalea wants.

Pots and feature planting. A single plant in a 400mm pot works well on a shaded patio, in an acidic potting mix.

Growing Autumn Lily Azalea in Australia

Position and climate. Dappled shade, or morning sun with afternoon protection. Hot afternoon sun burns the foliage, particularly inland. It is at home in subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, and it handles frost once established. In humid coastal gardens give it air movement to keep petal blight down.

Soil. Acidic, free draining and rich in organic matter. Work compost through the bed, mulch 75mm deep, and keep the mulch off the stem. Azalea roots are shallow and fine, so never dig around an established plant.

Water and feed. Keep the root zone evenly moist through the first two summers, watering deeply rather than often. Feed with an azalea and camellia fertiliser after the spring flush and again in late summer. Yellow leaves with green veins mean the soil is too alkaline.

Pruning. Tip prune straight after the spring flowering to build density. Because this variety flowers again on new growth, avoid heavy pruning later in the season or you remove the buds you are waiting for.

What to expect when it arrives

Autumn Lily is grown in tube stock. Tubes arrive as young rooted plants, usually a single stem with a few side branches, and they take two to three years to reach flowering size in the ground. That is the trade off: tube stock is the affordable way to plant a hedge, but it asks for patience.

Azaleas travel well and a little leaf drop after transit is normal. Plant into prepared acidic soil within a few days, water in, and expect new growth within four to six weeks in the warm months. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the complete azalea care guide.
• Compare the full azalea range.
• Plants for partial shade to build out the rest of the bed.
• How to create and maintain a hedge.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Eighty centimetres apart. At that spacing the plants knit into a continuous flowering hedge without crowding each other into thin, bare bases.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

No. All azaleas and rhododendrons contain toxins that affect cats, dogs and horses if the leaves or flowers are eaten. Plant it away from where pets graze, and choose something else if yours chews foliage.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. Use a 400mm or larger pot with an acidic mix, place it in dappled light, and water more often than you would a garden plant.