Autumn Embers® Azalea

Let's Grow

About Encore® Autumn Embers™ Azalea

Azaleas have been popular ornamental plants for centuries and they’re well-known for their large and colorful flowers. But most azalea varieties only bloom in spring and then flowers fade away when temperatures begin to rise. Encore® azaleas, however, will bloom again and again for a continuous display of showstopping blooms!

Autumn Embers™ azaleas are one of our favorite varieties of reblooming azaleas and they will dazzle you with an impressive display of flowers for up to 9 months of the year. Autumn Embers™ flowers are large and trumpet-shaped and they’re so intensely colored with deep red petals that they almost appear to glow! Those richly toned flowers complement the evergreen leaves of Autumn Embers™ azaleas beautifully and they are sure to draw hummingbirds to your garden too. Flowers first appear in spring and then Autumn Embers™ will bloom periodically throughout summer before producing a second, full flush of flowers in autumn.

Autumn Embers® Azalea
Botanical Name	Rhododendron ‘Conleb’
Plant Hardiness	Zone 6-9
Mature Height	3'
Mature Width	3-4'
Sun Needs	Full Sun, Partial Shade
Does Not Ship To	AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, PR

While Autumn Embers™ can be planted on its own as a specimen plant, these small shrubs look particularly striking when planted in clusters to form flowering hedgerows or a striking backdrop to ornamental beds. Growing up to 3’ tall, Autumn Embers™ is large enough to make an impact in inground gardens, but it is also small enough to grow in containers.

Like other azaleas, Autumn Embers™ grows best in acidic soil that is kept consistently moist. This azalea variety is also more sun tolerant than many other azaleas types, but it can be kept in part shade too!

Special features:

• Repeat blooms in spring through fall
• Vivid flower color
• Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators
• Adaptable to full sun or part shade
• Evergreen foliage
• Great for small spaces and container growing

Encore® Autumn Embers™ Azalea plant care

If you aren’t sure how to grow azaleas, follow along with the simple steps below. Azalea plants, including Autumn Embers™, are quite adaptable and easy to grow as long as you keep these recommended azalea growing conditions in mind.

When to plant azaleas

As with other shrubs and small trees, Autumn Embers™ azaleas will grow best when they’re planted during the cool weather of spring or autumn. If you need to plant your azaleas in summer, wait until the weather is cool and overcast and be sure to water your azaleas frequently after planting to help them more readily adjust to your garden.

Where to plant azaleas

Autumn Embers™ azaleas have greater sun tolerance than many other azaleas types and they are also resistant to heat, which makes them a popular choice for southern gardens. When searching for the best place to plant azaleas, choose a location in your garden that receives either full sun or part shade. If you live in a hot climate, plant your Autumn Embers™ azaleas in a spot that receives at least some afternoon shade.

Azaleas are acid-loving plants and they will grow best in gardens with slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.5 or less. Gardeners with more alkaline soil may want to add a soil acidifier to their garden before planting azaleas or they can try planting azaleas in pots instead.

Caring for azaleas in pots

If you have a small garden space or your soil is too alkaline to support azalea plants, Autumn Embers™ azaleas are ideal for keeping in pots since they don’t grow very large. Before planting your azaleas, select a well-draining pot that is at least 16” in diameter to ensure your plants will have enough room to grow. Fill up your pot with a well-draining potting mix that’s suitable for acid-loving plants and then plant your azalea to the same depth that it was planted in its nursery pot.

After planting, move your azalea to a full sun or part shade location and keep it well-watered. Container grown plants can dry out more quickly, so be sure to check your azaleas regularly and water them well to prevent overly dry soil.

How to plant azaleas

Azaleas can also be grown in inground gardens and planting them is quite easy. All you need to do is dig a hole that is about the same depth as your nursery pot and 2 to 3 times as wide. If you want to give your new plants a nutrient boost, consider amending the soil with a bit of compost or aged manure before backfilling in your planting hole.

After planting, azaleas should be watered regularly as they like a lot of moisture. Soil should be damp, but never soggy to keep your plants from having “wet feet.” Adding a thick, 2 to 3” layer of organic mulch around the base of your plants can help to insulate the soil beneath and reduce water evaporation too.

Azaleas will benefit from a regular application of azalea fertilizer. Additionally, if your garden has a alkaline or neutral pH, you may want to add chelated iron to your soil in spring and fall to help plants better absorb nutrients.

How big do azaleas get

Autumn Embers™ is a fast growing plant that will reach about 3’ tall by 3 to 4’ wide when fully mature. This size is perfect for container growing or inground planting. If you want your azaleas to make more of an impact in your garden, try placing several plants together for an impressive and colorful display of flowers from spring until fall.

History of Autumn Embers™ Encore® Azalea

Azaleas originally come from Asia and are members of the Rhododendron genus. These flowering evergreens naturally grow in shady areas and they can often be found in the wild growing under trees. Since they were first discovered, azaleas have been a hit with plant breeders who have developed over 10,000 different cultivars of azaleas through careful plant breeding!

Encore® Azaleas are some of the most popular azalea varieties today and they are well known for their resilience and abundant, reblooming flowers. These plants were first developed by Robert E. Buddy in the 1980s and today, there are over 30 different Encore® azalea varieties. Autumn Embers™ azaleas are a new addition to the world o Encore® azaleas. These plants were named for their vivid, red flowers that are so bright they resemble the crimson embers of a summertime bonfire!

Buying Encore® Azaleas at Cold Creek Nurseries

Our Encore® azaleas will be shipped right to your door in sturdy nursery pots. Always produced by the original breeders, our azaleas are grown from cuttings to preserve the integrity of the plant and its unique characteristics. >Order your Autumn Embers™ Encore® azaleas today and be rewarded with continuous blooms throughout the growing season!