Whew, it gets hot out there! Summer weather can be sweltering – not fit for man nor beast. Even much of the plant kingdom suffers from the heat.
Cherry Dazzle® is a stunning new red dwarf compact crapemyrtle.
Photo Credit: Gardener’s Confidence Collection®
Use taller crapemyrtle varieties to bring gorgeous privacy to outdoor sitting rooms.
Photo Credit: McCorkle Nurseries, Inc.
Shrub forms make an excellent accent in a shrub border when planted in groups.
Photo Credit: Gardener’s Confidence Collection®
The Razzle Dazzle® Series offers dwarf varieties that work well in containers.
Photo Credit: Gardener’s Confidence Collection®
Thanks to modern explorers and plant breeders, today’s crapemyrtle hues have grown beyond the typical watermelon red.
Photo Credit: Gardener’s Confidence Collection®
Except, that is, for crapemyrtle.
While most other garden plants droop and wilt from summer’s heat and humidity, crapemyrtle thrives and puts on a spectacular flower show all season long. Its disease resistance and heat- and drought-tolerance make it as tough as it is beautiful. To paraphrase a favorite postal saying, “Neither rain, nor drought, nor heat, nor humidity shall keep the crapemyrtle from its appointed flowering!”
Crapemyrtle is one of our most beloved summer flowering plants. Long appreciated for its beauty and brawn, Southern gardeners of the 1800s had just one species of crapemyrtle to enjoy, Lagerstroemia indica, and it came in one color: watermelon red. Thanks to modern explorers and breeders (and the plant’s diversity), we now have dozens of colorful crapemyrtle cultivars in hues of lavender, purple, white, pink, or red – including new varieties with “true red” flowers.
Today’s crapemyrtles are even available in different sizes to suit all our home garden needs – whether it’s a tree, shrub, groundcover, large perennial, container plant or hanging basket variety. Tree-form crapemyrtles are ideal as flowering specimens or as small, flowering shade trees near patios, walkways and entrances. Shrub forms make an excellent accent in a shrub border when planted in groups. Dwarf plants are effective as large groundcovers, perennial bedding plants or even container plants, providing colorful summer flowers.
Planting and Garden Care
Crapemyrtle is hardy in USDA Hardiness zones 7-10 (most of the West Coast and southeastern US). Gardeners in colder areas can use crapemyrtle as a summer-flowering container plant.
Because the plant needs full sun to flower freely, look for a site that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Although crapemyrtle is very drought-tolerant and almost seems to thrive on neglect, regular watering and fertilizer will help your plant grow faster and bigger.
When it comes to planting, crapemyrtle is rather tolerant and forgiving with two exceptions: It will not grow in wet soils, and it shouldn’t be planted too deeply – unless you don’t want flowers for years. (Planting too deeply literally smothers the roots, requiring the crapemyrtle to regenerate a new root system in the soil above. This takes time and energy that your plant could otherwise use for making flowers.)
And when it does take off – look for the show to start! Crapemyrtle is a fast grower, so it won’t take long to fill its place in your garden, even if you start with a small plant. For this reason, make sure you don’t plant a tree-size crapemyrtle in an area too small for its ultimate size, or you’ll find yourself eventually committing “crape murder” – pruning the plant hard (and often) to keep it from outgrowing its designated spot.
The great thing about crapemyrtles is that the beauty doesn’t stop – in the garden or beyond! Plant breeders are continuing to improve and introduce new crapemyrtle varieties for home garden use. There are several new dwarf series to consider, such as the Razzle Dazzle®, Dixie Series, Fleming Filligrees™ Series, Little Chief Series and Petite™ Series crapemyrtles. Hardy to zones 6-9, all the varieties in these groups of dwarf plants hold attributes that make them easy to grow for home gardeners. For starters, the plants really don’t require pruning – they have a slow growth rate and a good natural form (although deadheading is recommended to encourage reblooming from summer to fall). They also look great just about anywhere: as a border, mass planting or part of a perennial garden, as well as in containers with annuals and perennials. They even work well in bonsai combinations, thanks to their small leaves, mature trunk and twisted branches.
Many breeders are also working to broaden the ornamental appeal of crapemyrtle even further by searching for new flower colors, as well as a red leaf color that stays red all summer long. So stay tuned as the world of crapemyrtles continues to expand and improve. Until then, enjoy the summer show!
