They're calling it a standard Azalea but it looks like Encore Azalea to me. Otherwise it would only bloom once per year, in the spring.

By 'standard', I meant the tree-shape they cut it in, as in a 'standard' shaped rose tree, pruning off all lower growth. Not sure of the cultivar on this one, as I don't think she said in her post.

Well it may be common in some places but I have never seen one here in N. TX. That is gorgeous!

It is beautiful!

I've always been curious about the term 'standard' used for plants with a tall trunk and spherical top growth. A 'standard rose' never seemed standard to my understanding of the term as "conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value, etc". The internet was not much help, but I found this:

"Origin of Standard Roses

"They were widely grown in the formal gardens of France and gained popularity in Victorian England where they were common in the gardens of nobles. The name rose standards originated there, a name that later became standard roses."

But whatever the origin of the term the standard azalea is breath taking.

Roselee, I agree with you, it does not seem standard to me either. More an exercise in frustration. LOL

I've always been told that Azaleas can only be pruned right after blooming or you will cut off next year's blooms. I have seen that in some of my beds where I just had to trim them down because they were getting to tall for my windows and I did suffer the loss of blooms in that area.

So how do they keep it so well trimmed and still have so many blooms? My thought is that it is an Encore Azalea which blooms all year long.

I have a youpon that I trained this way and I have to clip it almost twice a week to keep it round.

"it is an Encore Azalea which blooms all year long."

LOL!! They may advertise that they do but they certainly do not!! They will have a major bloom flush in spring like all azaleas do then they will produce sporadic flowering off and on through the rest of the growing season. But nothing in winter and nothing that looks like the photo, which I suspect is photo shopped.....or plastic.

Even florist grown azalea standards do not look like that photo! And they are grown under ideal conditions, get the best of care and are treated with growth regulators to maximize flowering.

Don't buy off on photos you see online as always being the "real deal". They are far too easy to manipulate.

@Meme, My Encore 'Autumn Embers' have always bloomed in Spring and another small flush in Fall, but less impressive than the Spring round. But I've only had them 3 seasons and are still fairly small 1½' tall x 1½' wide. They struggle with my alkaline soil but I wasn't fertilizing them but once a season. I am picking up frequency of acid-loving fertilizer this year and they are putting on some new growth/leaves. I hope they do better next year.

Maybe add cow manure, it helps acidify.

I have the common Formosa and lots of them. They are each about 5'tall and 4-5' wide

A few years here and there, I put out granulated fertilizer on the ground and other years I used the spraying method with high acid fertilizer.

If you have any pine needles, use that on the ground around them. It might help a little.

So Encore only blooms twice a year? I was thinking about buying some but I thought they kept going all year long.

It's my understanding the Encores bloom just twice a year, but I could be wrong about that, Meme. That's what mine have actually done over the 3 years I've had them.

They said on the news yesterday they are predicting an unusually warm start to Fall, but my Encore azaleas are just begging to form a few blooms, so cooler temps aren't the trigger, clearly. Just a few blooms mind you, but buds are on all 5 bushes now. I think the show "encore" is just about to begin. Ii have Autumn Embers and just love the coral (almost true red actually) color. Will post a photo when I have any blooms fully open.

OK, here's the second flush getting underway this week: