Types of Rhododendrons That Are Red in the Fall

Rhododendrons and Azaleas

• Rhododendrons are a large genus of plants that include more than 850 natural species. They are widely distributed natives to temperate and tropical regions in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. Azaleas are rhododendrons, with deciduous and evergreen varieties classified separately. Deciduous and some evergreen rhododendrons and azaleas provide red fall foliage or bloom color. Rhododendrons require moist, well-drained acid soil high in organic matter. They thrive in dappled shade.

Korean Rhododendrons

• Rhododendron mucronulatum is commonly known as Korean rhododendron. It is native to China, Korea and Japan. It is unusual among rhododendrons in being deciduous. The plant grows 4 to 8 feet tall with an upright, rounded habit. The medium-green leaves are aromatic when crushed. In autumn the bush colors to an attractive mix of orange, yellow and burgundy red. Cultivars include Nana, a 2-foot dwarf with red fall foliage. Crater's Edge grows to 3 feet tall with lavender-rose flowers opening from red buds, mahogany-red fall foliage and red winter stems.

Deciduous Azaleas

• Rhododendron schlippenbachii are commonly called royal azaleas. They are native to Korea and Manchuria. Large, fragrant flowers in pink or white cover shrubs 6 to 8 feet high in the spring. Yellow, orange, scarlet or crimson foliage is displayed in the fall. The Mollis hybrids are heavy midseason bloomers in warm colors ranging from yellow through red. Autumn foliage is yellow and orange. Christopher Wren has brilliant orange-red flowers and blue-green summer foliage, with good fall color.

Evergreen Azaleas

• Evergreen azaleas appear to be so because they grow two sets of leaves yearly. Large, thin spring leaves grow along the stems, dropping in the fall. The leaves produced in summer are smaller and thicker, growing at the ends of branches and holding on through winter. In extremely cold winters all or most of the leaves may drop. Encore azaleas are a new evergreen hybrid developed by breeder Robert E. "Buddy" Lee. Crossing summer-blooming Taiwanese azaleas with spring-flowering varieties resulted in plants with flushes of blooms spring through fall. Autumn Bravo, Autumn Embers, Autumn Sunset and Autumn Monarch bloom in various shades of red.