Encore® Autumn Twist® Azalea
Rhododendron ’Conlep’
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Preorder Shipping Schedule
We ship your plants when it's safe to transport them to your zone. Dates are estimated and subject to weather delays.
| Zone 3-4 | Week of March 30th |
| Zone 5 | Week of March 16th |
| Zone 6-12 | Week of March 2nd |
Shipping Rates
Ships in 7-10 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
| Under $50 | $9.99 |
| $50 - $99.99 | $14.99 |
| $100 - $149.99 | $16.99 |
| $150 - $198.99 | $24.99 |
| $199+ | FREE |
✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee
Understanding Our Container Sizes
At Nature Hills, our plants are sold in industry-standard nursery containers. You will notice we use the word "container" rather than "gallon." Container numbers follow a nursery trade size standard, not liquid volume. The number tells you the plant's size category and general maturity level. A larger container means a more established plant with a stronger root system.
Container Sizes
Quart
Plant age: 6 months to 1 year
Best for: Ground covers, perennials, ornamental grasses
What to expect: Our smallest and most affordable size. Well-suited for planting in multiples across a large area. Allow 1 to 2 seasons for full establishment.
#1 Container
Plant age: 1 to 2 years
Best for: Shrubs, perennials, smaller trees
What to expect: About the size of a large coffee can. A well-developed root system in a manageable size. Good value choice when you have time to let the plant grow into the space over a season or two.
#2 Container
Plant age: 2 to 3 years
Best for: Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment
What to expect: A noticeable step up from a #1 in both plant size and root development. Good choice when you want visible presence without going to a larger size.
#3 Container
Plant age: 3 to 4 years
Best for: Most plants, most situations — flowering trees, shade trees, evergreen shrubs
What to expect: Our most popular size. Strong, developed root system. Plants in a #3 container make an immediate visual impact from day one. If you want a head start rather than waiting seasons for a plant to fill in, this is typically the right choice.
#5 Container and Larger
Plant age: 4 to 5+ years
Best for: Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact
What to expect: Large, mature plants ready to make an immediate statement in your landscape. We also carry #7 and larger sizes for select varieties.
Why "Container" and Not "Gallon"?
Nursery container sizes follow an industry trade standard established for the nursery and horticulture industry. The number is a size designation, not a measurement of liquid volume. Actual soil volume varies by plant type, root mass, and growing medium. Using "container" is the accurate industry term. When you see #1, #2, or #3, think of it as the plant's size tier, not a gallon measurement.
Root Pouch Containers
Some Nature Hills plants arrive in a Root Pouch, a breathable fabric container made from 100% recycled materials. Root Pouches encourage denser root development through air pruning, which discourages root circling and promotes a stronger, more fibrous root ball at the time of planting.
There are two types. Knowing which one you have changes how you plant:
- Degradable (brown or tan fabric): Plant the entire pouch directly in the ground. The fabric breaks down naturally in the soil over time.
- Non-degradable (black or gray fabric): Remove the pouch before planting. Cut the bottom open with scissors, then peel the sides away. The fibrous root ball will hold its shape.
Not sure which type you have? Check the tag on your plant or contact us and we will confirm.
Full Root Pouch planting guide
Choosing the Right Size
| Size | Plant Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Quart | 6 mo to 1 yr | Ground covers, perennials, grasses. Budget-friendly for mass plantings. |
| #1 Container | 1 to 2 yrs | Shrubs, perennials, small trees. Value choice for patient gardeners. |
| #2 Container | 2 to 3 yrs | Shrubs and trees where you want faster establishment. |
| #3 Container | 3 to 4 yrs | Most plants. Immediate visual impact. Our most popular size. |
| #5 and larger | 4+ yrs | Specimen plants, privacy screens, maximum instant impact. |
Still not sure which size is right for your project? Our plant specialists are happy to help. Contact us and we will point you in the right direction.
Plant Sentry™ Protected
Your order is protected by our compliance system that:
- Prevents restricted plants from shipping to your state
- Ensures plants meet your state's agricultural requirements
- Protects gardens from invasive pests and diseases
Description
Bi-color flowers and year-round appeal! The joyful Encore® Autumn Twist® Azalea, (Rhododendron 'Conlep' PP12133), is an ornamental flowering broad-leaved evergreen shrub with delightful, two-tone blooms. The blooms begin in spring and continue on through summer and even into fall for an exceptionally long season of re-blooming color.
Your Encore® Autumn Twist® Azalea features a big display of early spring pinkish-white petals with purple striping. Each lovely blossom is about 3 inches across, varying from white to pink, pinkish-purple, and purple. Followed by smaller flushes throughout the remainder of the growing season. The dark green foliage provides an elegant backdrop for the vibrant color of the flowers and will maintain an evergreen presence in your yard through the cold winter months.
It has an upright growth rate with a rounded form. Encore® Azaleas are fast-growing, so you won't have to wait long to see its spectacular results. Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 6 to 9, these easy-to-grow shrubs reach 4-5 feet in height at maturity and spread 3-4 feet wide.
Planting and Application:
Autumn Twist® features year-round foliage that creates privacy and screening all year! Create outdoor garden rooms or private seating areas with rows or strategic groupings of these evergreen shrubs! They, of course, look great mixed with other Encore® Azaleas! Plant a few as a short hedge along a side building, or just one in your front yard for 3-season color that can't be beat!
This broadleaf evergreen also makes a superior hedge and foundation planting, providing four seasons of color. Use several of them to create a friendly fence. Because of the low maintenance, carefree nature of this shrub, this is an ideal plant for mass plantings in either commercial or home landscapes. They are wonderfully mass planted as a backdrop for smaller varieties. Create a solid screen by planting 3 feet apart on center. You'll measure from the center of one to the center of the next.
A single spring specimen lights up the landscape or brightens a tired mixed-shrub border. Autumn Twist® well in containers and large planters for adding height to garden beds, or accenting porches and patios in the dappled sun/shade! Butterflies and Hummingbirds will seek out these trumpet-shaped stars for their nectar.
- Pinkish-White Petals & Pinkish Purple Stripe
- Repeat Blooming Bi-Color Flowers
- Fast Growing Broad-Leaved Evergreen
- Wonderful Repeat Blooms Spring Through Fall!
- Hedges, Containers, Accents & Anchors, Specimens & Four Season Color
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Handling full sun and partial shade, afternoon shade especially in the hottest of its favored growing zones, Azaleas love a highly-organic, well-drained and moist environment to grow in. Their shallow root systems appreciate light mulching over the soil surface but despise soggy conditions. Autumn Twist® is heat, disease, and drought tolerant so it'll certainly be a tough little shrub that you won't have to fuss over. Only prune flowering broad-leaved evergreen shrubs immediately after the flowers fade to avoid removing next year's spring display!
- Full Sun & Partial Shade/Afternoon Shade
- Enriched Well-Drained Organic Soil
- Regular Moisture & Appreciates Mulched Beds
- Heat & Drought Tolerant
- Disease Resistant
As Azaleas go, it's hard to beat the Encore® series, and Encore® Autumn Twist® Azalea is one of the best. Hardy and evergreen with a re-blooming display of bi-color flowers, Autumn Twist® is sure to enliven your landscape not just in autumn, but all year round. Order today at Nature Hills Nursery!
Specifications
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Botanical Name
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Class
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Growing Zones
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Height
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Width
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Sunlight
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Growth RateFast
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Flower Color
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Leaf Color
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Bloom PeriodLate Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Late Fall
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Does Not Ship ToAK, HI, ID, MT
Characteristics
