Encore Azalea 'Autumn Carnation'

About this plant

Rhododendron x Autumn Carnation Encore®, part of the renowned Encore Azalea series, truly lives up to its name, offering a prolonged and abundant floral display. Its vibrant, semi-double pink flowers, resembling miniature carnations, bring a cheerful splash of color to the landscape from spring through the first hard frost, ensuring your garden remains captivating for months. Beyond its incredible bloom power, 'Autumn Carnation' boasts attractive evergreen foliage, providing year-round interest and structure to your garden beds or foundation plantings. This low-maintenance shrub is a fantastic choice for adding continuous color and classical beauty to a variety of garden styles. Perfect for mass plantings, borders, containers, or as a vibrant specimen, this compact azalea thrives in partial shade and well-drained, acidic soil. Its repeat blooming habit makes it an unparalleled choice for gardeners seeking season-long color with minimal effort.

Installation timing

When we're in season, outside of the winter months, our goal is to get your plants installed within about two weeks. That window gives us enough time to secure your plants from our supplier and find a spot on the schedule. Throughout the process we stay in touch through notifications and your existing client portal on the main A Cut Above website, which is separate from this landscaping plants shop.

Care & maintenance

Requires acidic, well-drained soil. Mulch annually to maintain soil moisture and temperature. Prune lightly after the spring bloom to encourage bushier growth and more flowers. Protect from harsh winter winds in colder climates.

Watering suggestions

Proper watering is the single most important factor in your plant's survival after installation. Newly installed plants have a limited root system and rely on you for consistent moisture while they establish.

• First 2 weeks: Water deeply every day (or every other day in cooler, wet weather), soaking the root ball and surrounding soil.
• Weeks 3–12: Water deeply 2–3 times per week, adjusting for rain, heat, and soil drainage.
• After establishment: Water deeply about once a week during the growing season, and more often in extreme heat or drought.
• How to check: Stick a finger 2–3 inches into the soil near the roots — if it's dry, it's time to water. Deep, less-frequent watering encourages strong roots; shallow daily sprinkles do not.
• Avoid: Overwatering (soggy, waterlogged soil) is just as harmful as underwatering and can drown roots.

Watering needs vary by plant, season, soil, and exposure. Because proper watering is the customer's responsibility after installation, please make sure you understand and can follow these suggestions before ordering.

Good to know: plants and trees purchased from and installed by A Cut Above include a one-year limited warranty from the date of installation. Because plant survival depends heavily on proper watering and care after installation, losses caused by improper care, neglect, animal or chemical damage, or extreme weather are not covered, and we must be given the chance to inspect a struggling plant before it's removed or replaced. Coverage is one replacement per plant. Read our warranty info.