5 NEW Crapemyrtles at Ashcombe!

 

Double Feature (shown) 

Enduring Summer 

Coral Magic 

Plum Magic 

Purple Magic 

CRAPEMYRTLE

Common crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a beautiful 2’ - 15’ shrub or small tree, originally 

introduced to the United States in 1747 from China.  With its lovely, colorful, summer flowers, showy, flaking bark and flaming fall foliage, crapemyrtle became popular in the southern states.  Until the mid 1950’s, however, this beautiful plant was rarely grown north of Washington D.C. (zone 7), for it was not reliably hardy below 10° and often suffered winter damage.  But in the mid-twentieth century, Dr. John Creech, of the National Arboretum in Washington returned from Japan with a newly discovered species, Lagerstroemia fauriei.  Numerous cultivars of this “new” crapemyrtle, many named after American Indian Tribes and are now readily available to Pennsylvania’s ‘Zone 6’ gardeners!

For success with your “northern” crapemyrtle, choose an appropriate site and plant with your shrubs needs in mind!  Crapemyrtle requires full sun and loves a hot spot.  Plant in slightly elevated sites with southern exposure to promote flowering, control mildew and prevent winter tip dieback.  Soil should be moist but well-drained with a ph of 5-6.5.  The best time for planting is between mid-spring and mid-August to allow plenty of time for root establishment before winter.  Plant as you would any woody shrub.  Remember to plant at the proper depth, backfill soil firmly around roots and water well to settle soil.  Use only root stimulating fertilizers on your new planting.  Please no granular or water soluble fertilizers until next season or until your plant is well established!  Use a mulch to conserve moisture and protect crapemyrtle’s shallow, fibrous roots, but keep it several inches away from the base of your plant.  Water regularly and deeply as needed for the first two years.  Do not count on rain to water any new planting.  To prevent mildew on foliage, always soak the soil under your crapemyrtle and avoid the use of overhead sprinklers.  Avoid excessive mid to late season watering to avoid lush vegetative growth that may not harden off well for the winter.  

For the first winter or two, it is a good idea, but not necessary, to secure a wind barrier of burlap filled with leaves around your crapemyrtle, after all of the foliage drops in the fall.  Freeeze dieback is not uncommon the first year, so don’t worry if you find some tip damage in the spring.  Wait until mid-May to remove your protective barrier.  Crapemyrtles are late starters.  They usually remain very dormant until late spring and won’t show signs of life until day and night temperatures are consistently warm.  If you are worried about your crapemyrtle, do the “scratch test”.  Use your thumbnail or a knife to scratch a stem or two.  A “living but sleeping” shrub will show green tissue under the bark.  When you see this healthy color, you can feel assured that your plant is fine.  Sometimes tip ends will die back, especially the first season, so scratch further down these stems toward their bases.  Mid to late May is the usual time to prune, right before new growth begins.  All pruning should be done at this time.  Trim back damaged tips and shape up leggy stems to stimulate seasonal growth and beautiful flowering.  Established crapemyrtles may be fertilized at this same time with a granular 10-10-10 fertilizer.  Spread it around your plant but keep it away from stems and foliage.  Water it in well - never leave behind dry fertilizer.  Please do not fertilize past the end of June.  In general, nutrient requirements for crapemyrtle are minimal, so fertilize sparingly.  Remember, use only root stimulating 

fertilizer on newly planted crapemyrtle.

In sunny, Zone 6 landscapes, enjoy crapemyrtles as specimen, or summer hedges, or use in mixed borders, massings and foundation plantings.  The colorful pink, white, rose or lavender 

flowers of these beauties add a punch to the landscape when few other shrubs are in bloom.  In 

addition, enjoy fall foliage colors of vivid red, orange and maroon, and beautiful, mottled bark on mature 

specimens 5 years and older.  Crapemyrtle is incredible long blooming!  Some flower 100 days or more!

Our favorite cold hardy crapemyrtles are described below.  ENJOY!

Dynamite  Give your landscape a big bang with this 8 x 8 foot firecracker!  True red flowers bloom July-September!  Enjoy red green summer foliage and pumpkin red fall color!  Blooms well from a young age.

Hopi  This exceptionally cold-hardy, mildew resistant variety withstands winter temperatures up to -25°F.  Clear pink blossoms form on this 5-10 foot shrub and bloom for 100 days, from late June through September.  Bright orange-red autumn color!  Blooms well from a young age.

Pink Velour - Intense shocking deep pink flowers are the highlight of this lovely 8-10’ shrub, especially when set off by maroon to rust green summer foliage.  This long season bloomer flowers well from a young age.  Fall foliage is orange!

Pocomoke  This dwarf variety only reaches 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide.  It has small shiny, dark green leaves, deep rose flowers and the most wonderful mounding globe shape.  Beautiful maroon fall color.  Takes a year or two to bloom well.

Red Rocket  The very bright ruby red flowers on the 10 foot beauty bloom July-September.  Summer foliage emerges red and ages to dark green.  Fall color is bronze-red.  Blooms well from a young age.

Violet Filli  This fabulous dwarf grows only 11/2 feet tall and wide!  Super hardy to Zone 5.  This mini has lovely violet colored blossoms July-September.  Blooms well from a young age.  Look for Red and Coral Filli as well.  Newer and still harder to find!