Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea
Rhododendron hybrid 'Robles' PP22762
Plant Details
USDA Cold Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub
Height at Maturity: 3-4'
Width at Maturity: 3-4'
Spacing: 3' for solid hedges; 6' for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Dense, Mounding, Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate
Flower Color: True Lavender
Flower Size: Medium, 2-3"
Flowering Period: Mid-Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Mid-Fall
Flower Type: Single
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Dark Green, Purple tinted in Winter
Fragrant Foliage: No
Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun
Water Needs: Average, Lower when established
Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sandy (amended), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 5.0 - 6.5 (Acid to Slightly Acid)
Maintenance / Care: Low, Average, see cultural preferences below for more details
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention
Resistances: Deer Resistance - more info, Drought (when well established), Clay Soil (heavy clay should be amended), Heat, Humidity, Sun
Description
In 1998, the release of the first reblooming Encore Azalea changed the Azalea world forever. Since then, over 30 Encore varieties have been released. When provided enough sunlight (6 or more hours per day) all varieties bloom in spring and then repeat summer into fall.
In the top five most popular of all azaleas varieties we offer, and among the most cold hardy, Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea produces an abundance of very large 3-inch diameter flowers in the prettiest lavender color you've ever seen. The flowers are heavy in spring and rebloom late summer into fall. Rich green foliage on rounded shrubs marks for a nice backdrop to the flowers. The beautiful flowers are attractive to butterflies. University trials have shown Autumn Lilac to be one of the most cold tolerant Encore Azalea varieties in the series.
For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a, where this Encore Azalea variety is not reliably winter hardy outdoors, you can enjoy it in containers that can be moved indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing to 3-4 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea is a perfect choice for groupings, mass plantings, mid-size hedges, or an accent in landscape borders and home foundation plantings. It is also a fine selection for growing in containers and pots, which can be strategically placed to dress up decks, patios, porches, and other outdoor living spaces. Because they like sun to part shade, Encores do quite well under tall trees and along woodland borders. Butterflies love the flowers, and blooming branches serve very well for cutting to create stunning indoor floral arrangements.
Suggested Spacing: 3 feet apart for solid hedges; 7 feet or more apart for space between plants
Growing Preferences
We've been growing Encore Azaleas in our gardens since they were first released in the 1990's and can say with confidence that when planted right, and in the right spot, Encore Azaleas are among the easiest azaleas easy to grow.
Soil: When planted in the ground, Encore Azaleas adapt well to most soil types. In general, like all other azaleas, the Encores prefer an organically rich, moist but well-drained acidic soil. Constantly soggy or wet soil is problematic for azaleas. Heavy clay, quick-draining sand, or otherwise poor soils are best amended with organic matter or other soil amendments to provide sufficient nutrients, better soil drainage, and/or moisture retention.
In containers, a 50/50 blend of professional potting mix and potting soil is suggested. Make sure the pot has a hole(s) in the bottom that allow for sufficient drainage. As mentioned above, Encore Azaleas do not like a constantly soggy soil.
Sun: Encore Azaleas will grow in sun or part shade. For best flowering and reblooming, we recommend at least 4 hours or more of direct sunlight per day. All-day lightly filtered sun, such as under tall trees, is okay. In regions that experience very hot summers with intense sunlight, Encore Azaleas might appreciate a break from direct sun during the mid afternoon hours.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Encore Azaleas
Planting Encore Azaleas
Pruning Encore Azaleas
We are proud members of the ASA
Plant Long & Prosper!
Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff
Questions? Contact Us!
healthy plant.---------------------------------------------------Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! :) Beth Steele | WBG
This Encore Azalea Autumn Lilac arrived in very good condition. I planted it and it seems to be doing well. Leaves are a fresh green with new leaf buds and the plant looks healthy. Will see how well it does in over 6 hours sun per day and the hot summer temperatures. But it has a good start... Very happy so far with Wilson Bros Gardens. They seem to want to serve their customers well with their products.------------------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
Healthy plant. Arrived packaged well. Arrived timely. Planted it and it looks healthy.----------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
Arrived in excellent condition, very well packed. Planted same day as arrival. Very healthy plant that showed very little shock once planted. Looking forward to seeing it bloom.---------------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
I received my autumn lilac azalea very quickly.
The plant was nicely packed and in great shape. I cannot wait to see blooms. I have more like this one. They are beautiful.----------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
I ordered 1 gal azaleas and they arrived quickly and look healthy. They have been transplanted about 2 weeks now and are doing well. Great customer service.------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the awesome review! Beth | WBG :)
Arrived healthy and looking great!--------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG :)
I took a risk by ordering these so late, and I can't wait to see them bloom next year! They arrived when I needed them too so I was able to plant right away and they are doing great! Looking lovely this Zone 6 winter!---------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
Thank you, the order came in today. Wow, that was fast. Everything looks great. It is good to see the special care taken to ship these plants out. God Bless You and your team.---------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG :)
The azalea we rec’d was in excellent condition and looks beautiful. We are very happy with our purchase. Thank you!-------------------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
The azalea was extremely packaged well and was very healthy.-----------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
Wilson Bros. always does a fantastic job. I've ordered lots of plants from them. This Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea came well packaged and in beautiful condition. It's blooming and healthy.----------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG :)
My Autumn Lilac Encore Azaleas are covered with beautiful lilac-colored flowers: absolutely gorgeous with bright green leaves and large blooms. We live close to the sea with frequent salty winds, and our soil is a challenge, being silty glacial till that is both rocky and poorly drained. Even so, (with a soil amendment) these azaleas are flourishing. I couldn't be more impressed!--------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review and the kind words! :) Beth Steele | WBG
I am very happy with the variety of the products you provide. They arrived healthy and hopefully they will survive the crazy weather we are having. I'm also very happy with the advice you provide on different topics and plants. You have a great business, and I hope you can survive.--------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
I have ordered several Azaleas in the past from other companies and they have been in pretty good shape but nothing compared to the Azaleas I ordered from Wilson Bros. I was amazed at these plants, full of blooms and so healthy, I will definitly order from them again.------------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review and the kind words! :) Beth Steele | WBG
The azaleas I ordered came in fast and well packaged. They are doing great in my landscape and blooming a lot.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
Ordered 2 and both arrived in good shape and were blooming within 2 weeks of planting. Packaging was very good and plants arrived when expected. Will order from Wilson Bros again.---------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! :) Beth Steele | WBG
This is my first purchase from Wilson Bro’s. and it sure won’t be my last. The Azalea came packed well with only three small broken stems from its travel. I always expect a little bit of shipping damage and this is minimal. It did not arrive in bloom but I didn’t expect it to. Overall, a nice sized, healthy, good lookin’ plant!--------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG :)
The packaging was great. The plant is doing well.----------------------------------------------------We are so glad you are pleased! Beth | WBG
I recently received my dwarf azalea, very well packaged with nothing broken.
Planted outside with soft rain falling, and within a week it had its first flower.
Well done to everyone at Wison Bros Gardens
The online service was wonderful and a snap to get my azalea plants. The plants were in excellent condition when the arrived and I could tell they were packed with care. I recommend Wilson Bros Gardens whole heartedly.-------------------------- Thanks for the great review!! Beth | WBG
Very nice looking, healthy plant. Can't wait to see the flowers!--------------------------------------Hi Melanie, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! :)
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
I had purchased 5 autumn lilac azaleas last year from a box store. The winter was harsh on them and one did not survive and the others are struggling. I could not find a replacement anywhere until Wilson Bros. I purchased one as a replacement to the one from the box store that died and the plant arrived in perfect condition and is much more full than the ones I had gotten from the box store. I will be purchasing more to replace any of the other box store ones that do not come back this spring/summer.----------------------WBG Reply: Hi L.W., Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
Looking forward to the blooms.----------------------------WBG Reply: Hi TJ, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens
I love my autumn lilac azaleas. They arrived with blooms and the color is as shown in pictures. It took several days for me to plant them in the yard, but they stayed fresh with a little water. Also Five Stars for the service as well! When the 2-gallon plants were not in stock, they sent me the 3-gallon plants at no extra charge. They returned my messages promptly and answered all my questions. I will shop with Wilson Bros. Gardens again. ------------------------- WBG Reply: Hi Melissa - Thanks so much for your review of the Autumn Lilac Encore Azaleas and for the compliments! It makes everything we do even more worth the while!. With it's true-lavender flowers, which is unique among azaleas, Autumn Lilac is a favorite of mine and I hope you enjoy yours for years to come. Let us know if there's ever anything else we can do for you. We're at your service! - Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
This azalea arrived in beautiful condition! ---------------------- WBG Reply: Hi Joyce - Thanks for your review of the Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea you purchased from us and we hope you enjoy it for years to come. Let us know if there's ever anything else we can do for you. We're at your service! - Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
the azalea shrubs arrived quickly and were in very good shape, even blooming. the shipping was a little hard on two plants but they seem to be doing ok after planting, even with the snow we had yesterday. Very healthy and good looking stock. Highly recommend Wilson Bros. ----------------- WBG Reply: Hi - Thanks so much for the review! We certainly appreciate you recommending us to others. Keep us posted on how the two azaleas do that the shipping was a little hard on, and let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. We're at your service! - Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
I ordered two large Autumn Lilac and one small Autumn Fire Encore azaleas (because the 2-gal size wasn't available). I was contacted shortly after submitting the order to let me know that this late in the season, the small plants were showing signs of "fatigue." They offered to ship the plant at a discount or refund its cost and notify me in the spring when shipments of new plants arrive so that I could order a 2-gallon plant instead. The Autumn Lilac azaleas arrived about a week later and were very well packed to avoid damage and ensure sufficient moisture to sustain them during the trip from Georgia. The plants were in excellent shape and very healthy. I'm really looking forward to seeing them bloom and to see the leaves turn deep purple over the winter. No local nurseries handled the Encore Azaleas. This was my first experience buying plants online and not from a local nursery. The customer reviews were on the website were very good and I highly recommend Wilson Brothers Gardens. ----------------- WBG Reply: Hi Bill - Thanks so much for the review! Thanks for the compliments and glad to hear the azaleas arrived safely. let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. We're at your service! - Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
The Lilac Encore came in great shape, was healthy, and was exactly what I ordered. Was easy doing business with the Wilson Bros Gardens. Will definitely do business here in the future. -------- WBG Reply: Hi Gary - Thanks so much for taking the to provide your review and for the compliments. Hope you enjoy your Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea for years to come. We sure enjoy ours...one of the most unique and pretty flower colors in the Encore series. Let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. We're at your service! - Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
Plants were packaged nicely and looked great. Fast shipping. Been in ground 2 weeks and one already has a flower. Wife loves this color and I couldn't find them locally. ------------ WBG Reply: Hi Dean - You're wife and I have similar tastes. Since it was released, the Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea became my favorite color. Well, since Autumn Fire was released in 2015, I'd say it's a tie between the two. Also like Autumn Bravo and Autumn Twist. But, with so many Encore varieties to choose from, everyone has their list of favorites. Thanks for taking the time to provide your review and let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. We're at your service! - Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens
Packaging was superb to protect my plant. Plant was in beautiful healthy condition when it arrived. Shipping was fast. ---------- WBG Reply: Hi Frances - Thanks so much for taking the time to provide us and future visitors to Wilson Bros Gardens with your review. Let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. Plant long and prosper! - Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens
Beautiful plant sent in a timely manner, can tell it came from a great nursery compared to the one I got from home depot. Will buy from this nursery again. ---------- WBG Reply: Hi Jean - Thanks so much for taking the time to provide us and future visitors to Wilson Bros Gardens with your review. Sorry to hear about your experience with Home Depot, but glad you found us and can see the big difference in quality. It's just impossible for a mass merchant, who hires temporary help off the street, to provide the care that real nurseries such as ours do. Let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. We're at your service! - Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens
The plants were well packaged with very little damage when received. They seem to be healthy and don't show any signs of shock after being planted. They are not in bloom at the moment so I can't truly complete a final review until the colors are actually confirmed to be what was ordered. So far..so good though. ----------- WBG RESPONSE: Hi Mark - Thanks so much for taking the time to provide a review. If the past means anything then your Encore Azaleas have about a 99.99999% chance of being to to variety and color:-) I can't remember the last time there was a mix-up. That said, if by chance any of yours aren't true to variety just let us know and we'll ship a replacement out right away. Let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. We're at your service!
Excellent specimen and one of the most outstanding colors in the Encore group. As usual Wilson Brothers sends only high quality plants. ---------- WBG RESPONSE: We agree....one of the best of the Encores. Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review! Let us know if there's ever anything else we can help you with. Plant long and prosper!
