By Maggie Edwards 

Encore Azaleas® have painted landscapes with rich, colorful blooms for three decades. 

The perennial shrub is adored throughout the nation — acting as one of the country’s most recognizable and trusted brands in garden centers, said Flowerwood Nursery and Plant Development Services Inc. (PDSI) CEO and General Manager Ellis Ollinger. 

“The invention of the Encore® revolutionized the ornamental nursery industry,” he said. “Encore® was our first experience in branding and marketing campaigns. We knew we could tell the story of it.”

Introduced by PDSI (a branch of Flowerwood) and developed by Buddy Lee, the Encore Azalea® has multi-season blooms. A traditional azalea flowers just once a year.

“It’s called Encore® for a reason,” Ollinger said with a grin. “It’s literally like asking for an encore performance of the bloom. It’s the only azalea that has a prolific bloom in the spring and fall and is sporadic in the summer. They bloom fast until that first frost.” 

Headquartered in Loxley and known for high-quality stock, Flowerwood Nursery doesn’t stop at the Encore®, Ollinger said. 

“Because of what the Encore® did, PDSI and Flowerwood have expanded to being the exclusive licensee of the Southern Living Plant Collection® and Better Boxwood®,” he said. “The business changed in the late 2000s because of box stores, branding and marketing. That made us more like other businesses. The industry has matured and evolved in the last 30 years.”

It hasn’t just helped Flowerwood. It’s boosted nurseries across the Southeast, said Alabama Farmers Federation’s Blake Thaxton. 

“What’s impactful is that PDSI will license other local businesses to sell the Encore Azalea® to their customers,” said Thaxton, who directs the Federation’s Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod Division. “People know it’s a good product when they pick up an Encore® pot in a store. Brands communicate value to consumers. The culture of landscape has changed.” 

Since its first feature in the Federation’s Neighbors magazine in 2000, the Encore Azalea® expanded from 13 to 37 varieties — spanning from lilac and ivory to ruby and coral. Each variety is noted for its tolerance to cold-hardy zones.

Whether it’s growing the Encore Azalea® from a cutting or marketing the Southern Living Plant Collection®, Flowerwood Nursery is rooted in tradition dating back to 1938. What started as a small idea from entrepreneur Harry Smith has grown into over 1,000 acres of production in three states, Ollinger said. 

“We cherish our past and look forward to the future,” Ollinger said. “We are rooted in history and powered by innovation.” 

Caring for Encore Azaleas^®