Encore® Autumn Cheer®

Height:  3 feet

Spread:  4 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  6b

Description:

This stunning, compact evergreen shrub is bathed in clusters of beautiful coral flowers, and will bloom all season; an excellent choice to mass in groupings as a focal point of the garden; must have rich acidic soil.

Planting & Growing

It will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.