Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea
From PlantWiki
| Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea |
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| Species |
| Azalea |
History
Invented by plant breeder Robert E. "Buddy" Lee of Independence, Louisiana, the evergreen Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea enjoys more sun than traditional azaleas, but offers the same easy care. Lee first envisioned Encore Azaleas in the early 1980s when he found a tray of azalea cuttings blooming in the summer sun at his small Louisiana azalea nursery. Inspired, he began crossing traditional spring-blooming azaleas with the rare Taiwanese summer-blooming azalea, Rhododendron oldhamii.
Buddy is an internationally known plant breeder and the creator of Encore Azaleas. He is one of the most respected plant breeders and horticulturalists in North America, with over 30 years' experience in nursery management, breeding, propagation and new plant development. Buddy is past president of The Azalea Society of America, past president of the Louisiana Nurseryman's Association Region III, and he is an active member of the International Plant Propagators Society and the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association.
Characteristics
Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea has robust upright foliage is large and dark green. This bush is 4 1/2' high x 4' wide at maturity. The blooms are large, single and rich purple in color. The flowering period is from August to frost and again in mid-spring. The blooms are large 3.5" single, rich purple in color. Autumn Royalty was voted Azalea of the Year by the American Rhododendron Society.
Autumn Royalty grows well in full sun to part shade for at least 4-6 hours a day and requires a slightly acidic, well draining soil. Autumn Royalty Encore Azaleas are unique because after the first flush of spring flowers the shrubs produce new shoots and new flowering buds. This new growth means new flowers during the summer and again sporadically throughout the fall months as well. Once winter frosts set in the blooming will stop but the evergreen foliage will remain attractive throughout the winter cold.
Uses
Use Autumn Royalty azaleas where long flowering seasons will be appreciated, in mixed perennial borders, as part of foundation plantings in large masses of color or in large containers as accent specimens. This azalea is perfect for plantings near water gardens, rock gardens or ponds.