Azaleas light up the landscape in spring with their colorful flowers, but most are done after that stunning spring display. If only there were some way to put nature on “repeat” for additional waves of blossoms later the same season.
Well, that’s a possibility thanks to reblooming azaleas. The 'Encore' series is a line of azaleas that repeats blooms again and again, all the way into fall. Here in France, “encore” means “again.” So for plant lovers, choosing one (or more) of these amazing types of azaleas is definitely the way to go for a lovely, multi-season show.
Are you interested in growing azaleas that bloom twice a year? How about azaleas that bloom all year long? Read on for my top picks of beautiful azaleas that flower more than once a season.
Beautiful Reblooming Azaleas
If you love the colorful blooms of the azalea each spring, why not grow a reblooming variety that keeps on flowering? Here is a shortlist of my favorite reblooming azaleas, all of which are hardy up to USDA growing zones 6 or 7, so even Northern gardeners can enjoy the ongoing beauty.
1. ‘Autumn Rouge'
This is a breeder favorite and also very popular with those who plant twice-blooming azaleas. The Autumn Rouge Encore azalea starts flowering in early summer, often before Independence Day, and keeps on blooming all season.
It offers deep pink, semi-double blooms. It’s an upright azalea, growing to about 4 feet (1.3 m) tall with a spread of 4.5 feet (1.5 m). The flowers are some 2 inches (5 cm) wide and they keep coming right through fall.
This cultivar requires at least two hours of direct sun for optimal flowering. If you need to prune your azalea, do so right after the early wave of blooms starts to fade.
Get an Autumn Rouge azalea from Amazon and enjoy its beautiful blooms this fall.
2. ‘Autumn Angel’
If you would like a smaller size of azalea shrub, consider a dwarf variety. These types isn't exactly tiny, but they are shorter than the intermediate category.
Autumn Angel is a dwarf azalea that grows up to 3 feet (1 m) high and wide. Its blossoms are snow white—the kind of white that looks iridescent in the morning sun—which provides a stunning contrast to the deep green leaves.
This shining cultivar needs at least four hours of direct sun per day. If you are wondering about fall bloom time, it’s hard to predict. Spring bloom is very long, then you’ll see sporadic flowers over the summer. Come fall, you’ll have another wave of flowers that are big enough to make a landscape impact. But the exact date will be a surprise.
The elegant Autumn Angel azalea is also available right now from Amazon.
3. ‘Autumn Amethyst’
If you want something a little different, then this azalea is for you. The Autumn Amethyst azalea has delicate purple blooms that look lovely in the landscape.
Its flowers are a rich purple hue and they just keep coming all season long. The dark purple blossoms that give this cultivar its name stand out against the lush green summer foliage. Then for additional color, this shrub has purple leaves in winter.
Plant Autumn Amethyst azaleas where they will get at least four hours of sun a day and in return your shrub will provide year-round interest. It reaches 4 feet (1.3 m) tall and wide and is one of the most cold hardy azaleas of the Encore line.
Order a jewel-toned Autumn Amethyst azalea from Walmart to add a touch of sparkle to your garden.
4. ‘Autumn Chiffon’
If your landscape design is the epitome of elegance and you’d like a twice-blooming azalea to complement your designer look, check out Autumn Chiffon. The single blooms are large and each flower sports two colors. The petals are pale pink, but have dark pink centers.
This is a compact dwarf azalea, topping out at 2.5 feet (.75 m) tall with a slightly larger spread. The flower power is huge, making this shrub a top performer in foundation plantings.
Plant Autumn Chiffon in a sunny spot that gets at least four hours a day of direct light. This cultivar is also hardy to zone 6, so you can grow it further north than many other varieties.
Get your Autumn Chiffon azalea from Amazon today.
5. ‘Autumn Twist’
Another gorgeous ever-blooming azalea cultivar is Autumn Twist. I really like the contract between the striped flowers that are white and purple, as well as this shrub's the dark foliage. It’s a unique and cheerful color pattern and really adds joy to a flowerbed.
Autumn Twist is a tall cultivar with big flowers, perfect for a larger landscape. This shrub grows to 4.5 feet (1.5 m) tall and the flowers are 3 inches (7.5 cm) across. Plant this heat-loving flower bush in USDA zones 6-10.
Mix it up with an Autumn Twist azalea from Amazon.
6. ‘Autumn Sangria’
If you want deep pink flowers in spring, summer, and autumn, go for the cultivar Autumn Sangria. It is a true beauty year-round, with blossoms that rebloom all season and evergreen foliage that brightens garden beds in winter.
This cultivar is cold hardy to USDA zone 6, so no need to fret about winter protection for your azaleas in the warmer regions of the U.S.
Autumn Sangria grows to 4.5 feet (1.4 m) tall and wide. This shrub prefers a site with four hours of bright light or direct sun, but protect it from hot afternoon sun.
Add an intoxicatingly beautiful Autumn Sangria azalea from the Home Depot to your landscape.
7. 'Autumn Royalty'
This is a great foundation plant since it is one of the tallest of the Encore reblooming azalea shrubs. Autumn Royalty is a robust cultivar, growing to around 5 feet (1.6 m) tall.
These blooms are special. They are delicately ruffled flowers, 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) across, that offer amazing color. The petals are bright magenta and the foliage emerges as an appealing light green then matures to deep green.
This show-stopping evergreen shrub was even named the Azalea of the Year by the American Rhododendron Society.
The Autumn Royalty azalea from Amazon reigns supreme! Get yours today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can reblooming azaleas take full sun?
To get reblooming azaleas to flower, you’ll need to place them in a site that gets sun. A sunny location is more important for twice-blooming azaleas than for those that just bloom in the spring. Most of the Encore cultivars need sun for four hours a day minimum, although a few are content with two hours a day. For the best results, place reblooming azaleas where they will get morning sun, but some protection during the late afternoon.
How big do reblooming azaleas get?
You can get reblooming azalea cultivars that are dwarf and those that are termed “intermediate.” The tallest top out at about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.
