James Burghardt
Family
Lythraceae
Botanical Name
LAGERSTROEMIA indica 'Whit IV'(RED ROCKET™) PP11342
Plant Common Name
Crapemyrtle, Red Rocket™ Crapemyrtle
General Description
Talk about a festival of red! Red Rocket™ crapemyrtle is a heat-loving, small tree with an attractive upright habit with few horizontal branches. This eastern Asian native has glossy leaves that are dark red when they first emerge. These slowly change to dark green by late spring and turn shades of orange and red in the fall. In summer, large clusters of red buds appear and open to show off many crinkly, bright red flowers. Mature plants have pretty exfoliating bark.
Crapemyrtle is tolerant of a wide range of well-drained soils, preferably slightly acidic, and grows best in hot sunny locations. Red Rocket™ is highly resistant to powdery mildew and will flower much better if not annually tip pruned during winter dormancy. Plant it as a small focal tree in a sunny border or garden or as a flowering vertical accent in foundation beds.
Characteristics
-
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 6
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
6 - 10
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21
-
Plant Type
Tree
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
-
Height
18'-20' / 5.5m - 6.1m
-
Width
12'-15' / 3.7m - 4.6m
-
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
-
Native To
China, Korea
Growing Conditions
-
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well Drained
-
Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
-
Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Special Characteristics
-
Bark Texture
Exfoliating
-
Usage
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Street Trees
-
Sharp or Has Thorns
No
-
Invasive
No
-
Attracts
Birds
-
Self-Sowing
No
