SCIENTIFIC NAME: Azalea 'Autumn Empress' (Rhododendron ‘Conles’)

COMMON NAME: Autumn Empress™ Encore Azalea

GARDEN SIZE: 4 feet tall x 3 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Fast

USDA ZONE: 6 to 10

EXPOSURE: Full sun to part shade.

WATER & SOIL: Keep soil moist but well-drained (no wet feet); prefers humus-rich, acidic soil. Avoid heavy clay.

HABIT (FORM): Upright growth habit

FOLIAGE: Evergreen; dark green foliage in summer with a bronze hue in winter

FLOWERS: Pink, semi-double blooms; reblooms in spring, summer, and fall; 2.25 inches across

PLANT ORIGIN: Asia

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a host for local insects and wildlife. May provide food for insects in the spring.

FERTILIZING: Apply a fertilizer for acid-loving plants in the early spring.

PRUNING: Remove spent flower clusters immediately after the blooms finish. Pruning is not usually needed or recommended, but may be done right after blooming is finished in late spring or early summer.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

USES: Hedge, Foundation planting, Specimen