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| AZALEA 'AUTUMN ENCORES' Unlike traditional azaleas that flower only for a short period in spring, Encore Azaleas have their peak flowering in autumn, then continue to bloom through winter and into spring. They are free flowering and have attractive evergreen foliage, will perform in sun or shade and are cold and heat tolerant. Different varieties are Autumn Amethyst (Conlee), Autumn Cheer (Conlef), Autumn Coral (Conled), Autumn Embers (Conleb), Autumn Monarch (Conleo) and Autumn Royalty (Conlec). They come in a range of growth habits and flower colours that make them suited to varied uses. More varieties will follow in the years ahead. All varieties are protected by Plant Breeder's Rights in Australia. |
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The story of Encore Azaleas Robert E. Lee (no relation to the Civil War general) worked in an azalea nursery when he was in high school, but was employed as a nurse when he started experimenting with a bit of breeding in his backyard. In 1982, visiting a friend in midsummer, he noticed a tray of rooted cuttings of the relatively rare Rhododendron oldhamii in flower. He started hybridising these with traditional spring flowering varieties. This resulted in 7500 plants of different twice-blooming azaleas. Ten years later Mr Lee turned to Flowerwood Nursery in Alabama to help him select and commercialise the best, and over five years they were narrowed down to six with outstanding growth, flowering, foliage and colour characteristics. More varieties followed, providing a greater selection of bloom colour and plant size. Mr. Lee is still working to develop a wider array of Encore Azalea varieties. Encore Azaleas have been grown and evaluated in 21 public and botanic gardens across the U.S. Small numbers of the first six varieties were test marketed in the ‘fall’ of 1997, and larger numbers released the following year. In the U.S. Flowerwood Nursery has elevated these ‘azaleas that know no season’ out of the traditional azalea market with special packaging and presentation, brochures and point of sales material. Huge publicity about this new class of plants from garden writers to Wall Street journalists resulted in phenomenal sales. Encore Azaleas flower on new wood, not on old wood like traditional flowering azaleas. In the United States spring flushes of flower are followed by a period of new growth when new shoots appear. Then plants suddenly stop growing and start setting buds. The ‘first act’ starts when the buds begin blooming in mid- to late-summer. Flowering continues and hits a high note in autumn, stopping only when temperatures drop very low. In spring the flowering cycle starts again. It remains to be seen exactly when the different varieties stop and start flowering in different locations in Australia. Edward Bunker has grown them for seven years at Redlands, near Brisbane and says: “up here they flower all year round except in the hottest months, and we have found the same in Western Australia”.
Care Instructions Encore Azaleas have similar planting, watering, and growing conditions as traditional spring flowering azaleas. Plant into well-drained, slightly acidic soil with average soil moisture. Will grow in full sun or where they receive filtered light throughout the day, or morning sun and afternoon shade. Planting Fertilising Pruning
Uses There is an Encore Azalea to suit most purposes and locations.
Plant Encore Azaleas in drifts or as specimens in gardens. Autumn
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