Azalea japonica ENCORE Princess Roblea

The Encore 'Princess' Hybrid Azalea is a superb perennial variety with richly coloured flowers in subtle shades of salmon-pink and coppery-orange. It belongs to the Encore series, which has transformed the Japanese Azalea into a plant almost as decorative as a rose, with its successive and spectacular flowerings. This lovely evergreen bush blooms two to three times a year, depending on the climate: first in late winter or early spring, then in 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 flower beds or more sophisticated displays. Like all Azaleas, 'Princess' 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 hybridization and selection, with the aim of obtaining varieties capable of flowering several times a year, as well as withstanding the sun.

'Princess' is a medium-sized variety, with a rather upright bushy habit. The shrub reaches about 1m (3 ft 4 in) in height and 80cm (31.5 in) in spread, and is rather slow-growing, though slightly faster than the classic Japanese azaleas. Its abundant first flowering begins in March-April taking the form of satiny, single, salmon-copper flowers, without any splashes of colour. They measure about 5cm (2 in) in diameter, are funnel-shaped and grouped in small terminal clusters. A second wave of flowers begins in late May, when new shoots appear, already bearing new flower buds to open 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 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 flower beds or pots, attractive all year round. They harmonise well 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 'Princess' variety will look wonderful in a large, cool, moist rockery or in a bed with Chinese azaleas, blue perennial geraniums (Rozanne, Orion) or paniculate hydrangeas, in a small Japanese or romantic-style garden.  It will also make a beautiful suject in a pot to adorn a terrace or balcony, planted in suitable soil and watered with lime-free water.