Azalea japonica ENCORE Debutante Roblel

The Encore Hybrid Azalea 'Debutante' is a very beautiful variety with romantic soft, pure pink flowers. It belongs to the Encore series, which has transformed Japanese Azaleas into plants that are almost as decorative as roses, with successive and spectacular flowerings. This lovely evergreen bush blooms two to three times a year depending on the climate: first in abundance at the end of winter or the beginning of spring, then during the summer before a beautiful resurgence in late summer or early autumn. Thriving in full sun or partial shade and relatively hardy, the Encore hybrid Azaleas are very versatile and come in a variety of styles, with single or double flowers, more or less compact and in a range of colours including white, red, various shades of pink, salmon, and orange vermillion. Mix them together to create either rustic flowerbeds or more sophisticated displays. Like all Azaleas, 'Debutante' prefers non-calcareous soils, moist but well-draining, and fertile enough to sustain its multiple flowerings.

From a botanical point of view, Azaleas are actually Rhododendrons, plants from the large Ericaceae family. The hybrids from the Encore series, distributed by Globe Planter, were created thanks to Buddy Lee, a talented American nurseryman specializing in these plants. These quite fantastic Azaleas are the result of a long process of hybridisation and selection, with the aim of obtaining varieties capable of flowering several times a year, as well as withstanding the sun.

'Debutante' is a large variety, with a rather upright bushy habit and a slightly rustic appearance. The shrub reaches approximately 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in height by 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in spread, and is rather slow-growing, though slightly faster than the classic Japanese Azaleas. Its first particularly abundant flowering, starts in March-April. It takes the form of single, pastel pink flowers, punctuated with a few small darker spots in the centre. They measure approximately 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, are funnel-shaped, and gathered in small terminal clusters. A second wave of flowers begins to form at the end of May, when new shoots appear, bearing new flower buds that will bloom in summer. A final flowering occurs in early autumn, usually in October. The foliage of the Japanese Azalea, more or less evergreen depending on the severity of the winter, consists of small, simple, glossy, elliptical leaves with smooth edges, arranged alternately on the branches. They are a rather light green in spring, darkening in summer. This variety is hardy down to -12/-15°C (10.4 - 5 °F). Azaleas and Rhododendrons have a shallow root system that always needs to be kept moist, but they also dislike waterlogged soil which would suffocate the roots.

Japanese azaleas thrive in cool climates with distinct winters, planted in humus-rich and acid soil, such as ericaceous soil. In these conditions, they are very beautiful evergreen shrubs for flowerbeds or pots, attractive all year round. They harmonise beautifully with heathers, Japanese maples, or their relatives, Chinese Azaleas, which change their colours with the seasons. Combine them with flowering cherry trees, Japanese camellias, and their graceful, often fragrant, autumn-flowering cousins, the Camellia sasanqua hybrids. This 'Debutante' variety look wonderful in a large, cool, moist rockery or at the front of flowerbeds in a small Japanese or romantic-style garden. It will also make a beautiful subject to adorn a terrace or balcony, planted in suitable soil and watered with lime-free water.