We love Autumn Fire® – its bold, true red semi-double blooms and glossy green foliage that deepens to purple bronze in the winter brings year round appeal to landscapes. Plus, its cold hardiness and manageable size mean it’s a cinch to maintain. Even better, it combines well with perennials and other shrubs to enhance garden designs.
Here are three ways to pair plants with Autumn Fire® in the garden.
1. All in the family
Why not keep it in the family, and plant Autumn Fire with other Encore® Azalea varieties? This is a pleasing and efficient way to build an easy-care, evergreen landscape. Simply select other Encore Azaleas of coordinating colors and varying sizes to complement, contrast or add dimension. With 30 varieties, there are plenty of options!
2. Pleasing perennials
If you prefer to pair perennials with Autumn Fire®, try a few high performers from Southern Living® Plant Collection. Pink Moody Blues™ Veronica, Dark Moody Blues™ Veronica or Endurascape™ White Blush Verbena are three choices that will bloom heartily alongside your Encores from spring to fall.
Or, if you are seeking a companion that does not flower and will lend sophistication to your plantings, try ‘Twilight’ Heucherella. Its lovely velvety charcoal-gray leaves are an ideal foil to Autumn Fire, allowing it to command the garden spotlight.
3. Low maintenance partners
Low maintenance Encore® Azaleas call for partners that are manageable in the garden as well. This is where Southern Living® Plant Collection’s EverColor® Carex Series comes into play. These easy care plants offer a splash of color in the landscape in a no fuss package. Their grassy, evergreen fountain-like foliage make them a suitable companion for Autumn Fire, and they are cold hardy to boot!