Azalea japonica ENCORE Sundance Roblef

The Encore 'Sundance' Hybrid Azalea is a superb perennial variety with beautiful and large deep pink flowers. It belongs to the Encore series, which has transformed the Japanese Azalea into a plant that now has successive and spectacular flowerings, making it almost as decorative as a rose. This lovely evergreen bush blooms two to three times a year depending on the climate, from late winter or early spring until early autumn, in successive waves. Thriving in both full sun and 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, 'Sundance' 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.

'Sundance' is a beautiful, large-sized variety with a rather upright and bushy habit, and an informal appearance. The shrub reaches about 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in height and 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in spread, and is rather slow-growing, though slightly faster than the classic Japanese Azaleas. Its particularly abundant first flowering, begins in March-April and takes the form of simple, satiny, slightly wavy flowers of an absolutely pure fuchsia-pink. They are wider than those of other Encore varieties, measuring about 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, are funnel-shaped and arranged in small terminal clusters. A second wave of flowers, slightly less generous, appears at the end of May when new shoots appear, already bearing new flower buds that 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, and arranged alternately on the branches. They are a rather light green in spring, turning darker in summer, often taking on beautiful bronze or purplish hues in cold weather. This variety is hardy down to -12/-15°C (10.4 - 5 °F). Azaleas and Rhododendrons have a shallow root system that requires constant moisture 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 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-blooming cousins, the Camellia sasanqua hybrids. This 'Sundance' variety will look wonderful in a large, cool, moist rockery or flowerbed with Chinese azaleas, blue perennial geraniums (Rozanne, Orion) or paniculate hydrangeas, in a small Japanese or romantic garden. It will also make a beautiful subject to adorn a terrace or balcony, planted in suitable soil and watered with lime-free water.