First introduced in 2016, the Autumn Fire Encore Azalea has rapidly proven itself to be a worthy addition to the Encore® Azalea Collection! This Azalea lives up to the high standards you’ve come to expect from Encore, with deep red, semi-double blooms that stand out phenomenally against dark evergreen foliage. Unlike traditional azaleas that simply bloom in spring, Encores send out bloom after bloom from spring to fall. No deadheading is required to keep the flowers coming!
In winter, the Autumn Fire Encore Azalea’s fantastic green foliage will change to a deep purple-bronze color. This adds a whole new level of interest to this red blooming azalea. Afterward, spring sees the triumphant return of the characteristic dark green foliage.
The dwarf size and compact growth habit make the Encore Fire the least of your concerns when it comes to landscape maintenance.
The Autumn Fire Encore Azalea reaches a mature size of 2.5′ H x 3′ wide. Therefore, the Encore Azalea Fire is perfect for a low-hedge, foundation planting, mass planting, accent, or container plant. Plant it in front of taller shrubs with contrasting foliage or bloom color for a dynamic display.
PlantsbyMail.com only sells and ships mature, healthy Autumn Fire Encore Azalea plants.
Autumn Fire Encore Azalea Care
Unlike traditional varieties, the Autumn Fire requires 4-6 hours of direct sunlight to thrive and bloom properly.
Plant this red blooming azalea in soil that has an acidic pH, and drains well. Poor drainage will lead to root rot and the expiration of your plant.
Water 2-3 times per week during the first growing season. Consequently, this allows them to develop deep roots, which will help ensure their long-term success. They are able to access more nutrients and have an improved capability of dealing with droughts.
Fertilizing your Encore Azaleas in spring with a slow-release, balanced acidic plant fertilizer will help to keep them thriving. Otherwise, for organic gardeners, use a balanced organic fertilizer every two months during the growing season.
Spacing Your Autumn Fire Encore Azaleas
For a seamless planting, space your Autumn Fire Encore Azaleas 2 feet apart from plant center to plant center. For space between plantings, plant them 3+ feet apart.
Check out the rest of the Encore Azaleas for sale on PlantsbyMail.com.
Take a look at a few other popular Encore varieties, the Autumn Bonfire Encore Azalea, the Autumn Lilac Encore Azalea, and the Autumn Angel Encore Azalea.
Anonymous –
Thanks for getting the two autumn fire azaleas to us in time for my dad’s 99th birthday. He is fond of red and these plants arrived in great condition and packed professionally. I could not be more pleased.
Anonymous –
Plants arrived in perfect condition. I’m a little surprised because I’m 3000 miles from you, but they are beautiful.
Linda –
I ordered 5 of the 3gal Autumn fire azaleas. Boxes were opened on delivery and the plants watered as recommended. There were a lot of dead flowers on the bottom of the box and broken branches. Not sure if this was an issue with the packing or the shipping. Customer service has been contacted but I’ve not yet heard back
Leslie Kain –
Plant appeared to be healthy. However, when I pulled it out of the packaging to plant it, I found that it was completely encased & rooted in bark mulch. Soil would have been much better – less of a ‘shock’ for the plant when planted in the ground.
Heather –
I received 5 plants in great packaging. I followed all planting directions (on the website), and they are all looking fantastic. I can’t wait to see them bloomed!
Carolyn Havens –
My Autumn Fire Azaleas arrived exactly when promised. They were packed very well so there was no shipping damage. They are lovely, healthy plants and I’m looking forward to seeing them bloom in my yard.
Eva –
We ordered an encore azalea and was pleasantly surprised at how healthy and beautiful it is. We had never ordered plants on line until now. We loved this site and very pleased with product.
Anonymous –
The order was handled in a speedy manner. The azalea arrived in very good condition.
Anonymous –
After taking 9 days to arrive in Washington state, 2 of three plants arrived in surprisingly good shape, while the third was completely dried out
***Staff notes: Shipping to the West coast from our location will usually take 5-7 business days. We recommend that west coast customers wait until cooler times of the year to order so the plants will not dry out during transit. See this link for estimated travel time to your location: https://plantsbymail.com/transit-time-estimate/
Eddie Hawkins –
The plants arrived in two days, very well packed
And in good shape. Not in the ground yet, but will be very soon. I’ll be ordering again soon. Thanks!! Plants by Mail.
Michael Morris –
Plants showed up in good shape. Poor little things were planted in frozen soil and seem to be doing well. Thank you so much.
***Staff Notes:
We do not recommend planting in frozen soil(This is actually a bad idea!). If your area is still experiencing harsh winter conditions we recommend waiting to order the plants, or order the plants and leave them in the pots and move them indoors during harsh winter conditions. Wait until the winter weather has broke and your area begins to warm up to put them in the ground.
Gary E Bowland –
Bought 2 Encore Azaleas. 1 was was great. 1 was not so great. probably 6 months behind the other one.
Allen –
I ordered 6 of the Azalea Autumn Fire and were delivered in “EXCELLENT” condition. I was amazed at how well these plants showed up in the card board box!! The plants are looking great as it turned HOT shortly after I ordered and planted all of them. No blooms yet…. But my plants look very healthy!!! I am impressed…!!!! Thank you!!!
Jean Martin –
Shipping was prompt. A couple of the packages were pretty banged up during shipment but the plants were so well packaged that they did not suffer at all. All of the shrubs I received were just as fresh as what I would buy directly from a local nursery.
Thomas (verified owner) –
Excellent azaleas and arrived in beautiful shape. Very well pleased.
Kaye Ferrell (verified owner) –
Last season in May – I bought one 3 gallon Autumn Fire and 5 smaller 1 gallon. The 3 gallon died quickly – I was disappointed, however, the smaller plants did fine.
PlantsbyMail Customer Service –
Sorry to hear your 3 gallon didn’t do well, Kaye. Be sure to contact us if you have a problem with your plant shortly after receiving it.
Kathy Jones (verified owner) –
We received 10 of these beautiful Encore Autumn fire azaleas last Saturday late. They were packed very well and none of the plant were be damaged. Planted them that Sunday, we had a really good rain, watering today and they already have new growth. I live in a zone 9 so time will tell but I’m confident they will thrive. Can’t wait to see the blooms!
oscartobias (verified owner) –
We ordered 25 Encore Autumn Fire. They arrived in excellent shape and we were extremely pleased with the prompt and professional service we received.
bepperly (verified owner) –
Ordered 10 if the Autumn Fire Encore Azaleas. Received within 2 days of shipping and plants were beautiful and healthy. Soil was still damp due to the great packing. Will definitely order from you again.
jenks.myres (verified owner) –
Beautiful healthy azaleas! Came in less than 48 hours!
jalainec (verified owner) –
I ordered 10 encore Autumn Fire Azaleas, All 20 arrived came individually boxed in perfect condition. Some were blooming. Got them all planted . It’s been 10 days. They still look great. I’m very pleased.
shayhm (verified owner) –
My Encore Azalea looked great when it arrived. Unfortunately, things went downhill quickly. When I removed the plant from its container, over 70% of the planting medium fell away. The root system was abysmal. The roots split out to two sides with no roots directly under the plant. Who knows, it may live. I won’t be chancing another purchase. I don’t see a way to add a photo, so I will add a link below to a picture of what happened when I removed it from the pot. Looking at the picture again reminds just how bad it was. https://photos.app.goo.gl/jtWyCXdTt61fxEwU9
PlantsbyMail Customer Service –
This plant was mistakenly pulled from a younger crop of Autumn Fires. After seeing this review, we contacted the customer and shipped her a new one that was well-rooted.
We stand by our plant guarantee and always want to hear about it when we fall short of expectations.
seweekley (verified owner) –
Absolutely excellent. Arrived in great shipping boxes and the plants are beautiful. I wish we had room for more than the seven we ordered
victoria.m.clair (verified owner) –
Ordered and held for a week or two then planted in zone 6 early spring (after last frost). By midsummer the plants look established and 3 of 4 are all flowering beautifully. Very satisfied. Highly recommend.
Brenda Johnston (verified owner) –
I just received 6 Encore azaleas. The plants arrived very quickly and were in great condition. The azaleas were healthy, blooming plants. I am very pleased and looking forward to beautiful blooming plants in the spring!
John –
I ordered 14 Autumn Fire azaleas a month earlier. I was a little concerned when the arrived; they appeared to be a little dried out and were beginning to drop leaves. However, I watered them well after unpacking them, and they recovered in a couple of days. Now, a month after transplanting, they are blooming spectacularly. I love the color they add to my yard.
hmsb27 (verified owner) –
My azalea looked great when I opened the box up. Autumn fire bloomed a lot and I love the color of it.
Rebecca –
Beautiful, healthy plant that took just a few days to arrive. Soil was moist and pitting was easy. Also felt it was very reasonable! I’ll use Plants by Mail again1
Brenda Schonig (verified owner) –
I ordered 4 of these Autumn Fire azaleas. I also ordered 8 more of other types. The other eight arrived beautiful , The four Autumn Fire did not arrive in the same condition. Lots of dead leaves and flowers were all dead. Branches broken and I am not sure these will survive. I have them in the ground and hoping for a miracle. I did contact customer service right away but I have not heard anything back and it has been almost a month.
Disappointed (verified owner) –
I received my three 3 gal. bushes in early March 2020. Good size, full of foliage, but by May still no flowers or buds. I planted them on the South side of the house with plenty of sunlight. They look like Azaleas but no flowers on any of the three, I am kind of disappointed. I was expecting some flowers in the Spring. We will see if they bloom at all this year. Use caution when buying and expecting them to produce flowers right away.
raruss (verified owner) –
The plants arrived in excellent shape! The packaging was sturdy and the root ball was still moist. Several blooms were still attached allowing me to see the beautiful color before planting the. I will definitely buy more.
harrishemphill (verified owner) –
Ordered 7 one gallon Autumn Fire Encore Azaleas from plants by mail. Shipping was fast and they looked great. Would definitely order from them again.
Linda Reese (verified owner) –
Plants arrived timely and in perfect condition. Highly recommend. Easiest way to purchase plants.
Nadine Hoffman (verified owner) –
Our plants arrived in great condition. Plants are doing well so far. Waiting for them bloom in a couple of months.
Catherine Cline (verified owner) –
They were packaged great and I’m so excited to see them bloom. Will purchase again!!
Gloria Kane (verified owner) –
I am very happy with the Autumn Fire azaleas. They were packaged in strong cardboard and still moist when they arrived. I was very excited to see the first blooms already!
dermdawg78 (verified owner) –
Plants arrived in good condition. So far no blooms as they were not blooming on arrival so can’t comment on the flowers yet. Can’t wait to see them in bloom.
John (verified owner) –
Plants are great. Nicely packaged. I’m looking forward to them filling the space where I removed diseased bushes. It will be great next season.
Rose M Hardman (verified owner) –
Quick service and excellent pricing in comparison to other on-line nurseries. Plants were in excellent condition and shipped in a manner to care for them. So far they are all doing great! I would definitely order again!
Walter (verified owner) –
I was highly impressed with the condition of the azaleas when they arrived. I ordered four of them and they are gorgeous. I definitely will be ordering more
G. Lawson (verified owner) –
Gorgeous bloom color!! 8 plants ordered. 2 arrived a bit stressed but seem to be recovering fine. 5 stars because this was an 18 plant order and the others were all very healthy and the entire order was well packaged and shipped quickly.
Mary Beth (verified owner) –
The plants arrived quickly, were very well packaged, and were very healthy. They seem to have taken well and are growing nicely. I couldn’t be happier with my purhcase.
Jac Whatley (verified owner) –
This azalea was large and healthy and has settled in well in our garden. We would order it again.
Mary (verified owner) –
I ordered four encore azaleas. They all came fast and healthy. They’ve been planted now for two weeks and two have been blooming for at least a week. I’ve ordered online before and never received such perfect plants. All four are very healthy. Very pleased. Will order again from Plants by Mail
maryanne carroll (verified owner) –
EXCELLENT experience. Much easier to shop on line than in nursery. Plants were healthy, in perfect condition when they arrived. Couldn’t be happier. Will use again and highly recommend.
Isabel (verified owner) –
I loved the plants. They were beautiful and came wrapped in such a caring way. I order 4 plants and they were all helahty. I was pleased with the time it took for them to come and they look beautiful in our backyard.
Don (verified owner) –
I purchased six of these Autumn Fire azaleas from PlantsbyMail. I was thankfully pleased with packaging which saved the tops of three of them from being crushed by being delivered if not also partially transported upside down! They are now showing good healthy growth and even a handful of the beautiful deep red blossoms are now popping. And so far no trimming by local deer!
Sandra (verified owner) –
I ordered 3 of the fire azaleas. They came in looking very healthly and had still had a few stray blooms left on them. I was disappointed in the size. They came in a 3 gallon container as stated but they were quite small compared to the 3 gallon azaleas containers I can purchase at my local nursery. Hopefully they will grow quickly. Looking forward to seeing their last bloom which I expect will come in September
hrogers403 (verified owner) –
Plant was well packaged. However, it did have some brown/black leaves upon arrival. Hoping getting it into the ground will help restore the health.
mgauker (verified owner) –
I have purchased many plants from plants by mail and will continue to do so, however I have had many issues with FedEx. I ordered 3 Autumn Fire Azaleas, but I only received 1. I cannot find any customer service info on the website, but googled to find an email address. It must be inactive though, because I never received a response. Please send 2 more plants.
nick norman –
My apologies we have been out of the office trying to deal with Hurricane Sally and the aftermath of a direct hit from a Strong CAT2 hurricane. I am happy to assist you. I can be reached out [email protected] or 866-618-5659.
William Kuehler (verified owner) –
The plants arrived in good shape. The root ball was nice and moist and I didn’t even have to water the plant when planted.
psnessel (verified owner) –
6 Autumn Fire Encore Azaleas arrived quickly (even though ordered during a hurricane) and well-packed. Leaves had some spots identified by Customer Service as a little heat stress. Once planted using included instructions, the one gallon plants soon showed signs of new growth. Would definitely order from Plants by Mail again.
johnfj44 (verified owner) –
Ordered and received in May 2020. As of Nov 21, 2020 all plants alive and growing. Amazing continuous flowering and still have blooms in Nov. Replaced boswood hedge and very gladI did. Can’t wait till they are 3 ft high and create an everblooming hedge across the front of my home. Would definitely buy again.