By Gary Wade
Georgia Extension Service
Volume XXVII
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Encore azaleas are causing a real stir among Georgia
gardeners. Developed in
Louisiana in the early 1980s, they’re being promoted as “twice-
blooming” (spring
and fall) azaleas.
Actually, in 2002 at the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens in
Savannah, they
had a nice spring bloom followed by sporadic blooms throughout
the summer and
fall.
Eight cultivars are on the market now, from a compact dwarf
form 2 feet high
to large, upright forms for use as background plants. Unlike
other azaleas that
grow vegetatively after flowering, the Encore series grows
vegetatively for
about a month, then begins setting buds and flowering in mid-
to late summer.
Encore azaleas are patented plants sold to retailers by
Flowerwood Nursery
in Cairo, Ga., for about $10 per 1-gallon container. So expect
a premium price
at the retail level.
These cultivars are available:
- Autumn Rouge, strong pink to red, 5 ft. high by 4 ft.
wide. - Autumn Royalty, rich purple, 5 ft. high by 5 ft. wide.
- Autumn Brava, bright red, 4 ft. high by 4 ft. wide.
- Autumn Coral, coral pink, 3 ft. high by 4 ft. wide.
- Autumn Embers, orange-red, 3 ft. high by 4 ft. wide.
- Autumn Monarch, reddish flecking with ruffled edges, 5
ft. high by 5 ft.
wide. - Autumn Amethyst, vibrant purple, 4 ft. high by 4 ft.
wide. - Autumn Cheer, rose pink, 2 ft. high by 3 ft. wide.
Encore azaleas are being evaluated in test gardens in
Georgia. Georgia Extension
Service horticulturists say the jury is still out on their
cold and heat hardiness,
pest resistance and overall performance in the landscape.
