Azalea x 'Conlep' AUTUMN TWIST™

Among Japanese azaleas there are groups that originated as natural hybrids or were hybridized by botanists. Encore azaleas is an American series of repeat flowering evergreen azaleas, bred by Robert Edward Lee, aka Buddy Lee, of Transcend Nursery in Louisiana, USA. He started his work in early 1990’s by selecting the most promising parent species and varieties which he cross-bred for prolonged flowering time, solid hardiness, and obviously flower beauty. Until today (May 2021) the series consists of more than 30 varieties out of which many are suitable for gardens of USDA zone 6. All of them bloom twice a year (spring and autumn), many of them bloom in summer, too, and a few flower sporadically but continuously from spring through autumn.

AUTUMN TWIST™ is an evergreen hybrid Encore azalea, a sport of AUTUMN ROYALTY™ from 1997. It makes large, 8-10 cm wide, single flowers. They are white with numerous purple violet highlights or stripes, and rich pink dotting. Blooming begins later than on Japanese azaleas, usually in late May but continues for at least 3 weeks. After a short pause it repeats blooming in summer, and again in late autumn. Evergreen leaves are oval to broadly elliptic, dark green, somewhat tomentose. It grows fast into a bushy shrub slightly over one meter tall and wide. Patent No. PP12133 was granted in 2001.

Azaleas can be clipped to shapes in early July after flowering. If so, do not use fertilizers enhancing growth rate. The size of new branches would get out hand and spoil the shape you are going to achieve. They need light, permeable soil that is acid, constantly moist (keep azaleas always mulched), and moderately fertile. Use fertilizers for rhododendrons and azaleas, or ericaceous plants. The best soil mix is 1/3 of peat, 1/3 of leaf-mould or lime-free compost, and 1/3 of soil from the hole where you are going to plant it. Azaleas have shallow roots, so never plant them too deep. If leaves turn yellow or fall off after winter the plants exhibit too wet or heavy soil. Out of Encore azaleas we choose only those with guaranteed hardiness. AUTUMN TWIST™ proved hardy to abt. -23 °C (USDA zone 6b), preferably located in winter shade or if grown in full sun they will do better with fir branches or white woven in case of heavy frost and sunny strong sunlight.

Last update 23-05-2021