Encore® Autumn Sweetheart™ Azalea

Rhododendron ‘Robleja’

Autumn Sweetheart Encore Azalea is a compact evergreen shrub with small dark green leaves that hold their color year round.  Small ruffled pale white-pink flowers with lavender freckles bloom first in spring and continues to rebloom into fall.  A very versatile plant that prefers partial sun with acidic rich, well-drained soils.  Azaleas are excellent pollination and butterfly attractors.  The Encore series can handle more sun than most azaleas.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  A low maintenance plant.  Moderate water needs, properly drained soils is a must to avoid root rot.  Mulch helps to keep roots from drying out. Keep away from drip lines of the walnut family. Acidify soils as needed (PH range of 5 to 6.5) Can use sulfur or iron sulfate to lower ph, and lime or limestone to raise PH. Southern climates with excessive humidity are more prone to powdery mildew, twig blights, and rust.  Cold winters can damage the blooms. 

LANDSCAPE USES:   Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Wildlife Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Foundational Plantings, Hedges, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Fern, ‘Azalea, St. John’s Wort

IMAGES: Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Autumn Sweetheart 0zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (2) Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Autumn Sweetheart 1zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (3) Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Autumn Sweetheart 5zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (4) Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Autumn Sweetheart 3zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (5) Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Autumn Sweetheart 2zz, CC BY-SA 4.0, (6) Photo by David J. Stang, Rhododendron Autumn Sweetheart 4zz, CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.