The Crape Myrtle may hold the distinction of the landscape plant that took the biggest beating over the last 9 months and yet most survived. Between the early ice storm last October and the extreme cold of February, the environment was difficult for Crape Myrtles. Some weaker plants didn’t make it leaving us with holes in the landscape. The low temperatures of February killed some of our older, majestic Crapes back to their roots leaving us with more shrub-shaped plants than trees this year. But, even though the Crape Myrtle landscape looks different this year, it is summer, and Crapes are once again adding color to our landscapes.
Crape Myrtles are our longest blooming plant. While most blooming trees and shrubs put on a show for only a few days or a few weeks, the Crape Myrtle starts adding color to the landscape as soon as summer heat arrives in late-June to early-July and doesn’t stop until the first frost.
If your landscape has a void because of winter damage, consider adding a Crape Myrtle. With over 50 varieties of Crape Myrtles and new ones introduced every year there must be one perfect for your landscape.
Last summer this large Crape Myrtle was focal point of the landscape of this 90 year old house.
Unfortunately, the Crape Myrtle didn’t survive the winter freeze. But, all is not lost. The deadwood has been removed. New growth will be allowed to grow in a shrub form this season. Next spring, 5-7 of the best stems will be selected and all the rest will be removed. Corrective pruning will happen every spring until the tree-sized shape of the old Crape Myrtle is regained.
Even this old Tuscarora Crape Myrtle had to be cut to the ground this spring, it still couldn’t be stopped from bursting with color this week.
Crape Myrtles are great pollinators. Interesting…university studies have found different types of bees prefer different varieties of Crape Myrtles. Plant height and color appear to be the most common deciding factor.
Crape Myrtle Sizes
Crape Myrtles are a great way to colorfully screen an unwanted view by planting them in a row.
Standard Crape Myrtles - When allowed to grow as a small tree will reach up to 25’ in our region and require little maintenance. Simply remove any dead wood from the tips of the branches in the spring and let the plant go for the season. They can be grown as a single trunk or a multi-trunked tree.
Semi-dwarf Crape Myrtles - Typically grow 8-12’ tall and make an excellent colorful screen when grown in a row.
Dwarf Crape Myrtles - Grow only 2-4’ tall, are small and mounding, and ideal for a landscape bed where you want a splash of summer color.
Selecting the right size plant is important. Crape Myrtles are at their best when they can grow to their natural shape and size. Constant pruning on the wrong size plant to keep it in a space it was not meant to fit will reduce the summer blooms.
Crape Myrtle Colors – The color pallet ranges from white, pink, purple, and red. Bloom color is not the only attribute of Crape Myrtle. Their foliage ranges from dark green, wine-colored, velvet and dark purple. The combination of the bloom and foliage colors is one of the things that attracts me to the plant.
I am most fond of the large, full-sized, tree-formed Crape Myrtles. It is hard to narrow my list of favorite Crape Myrtles, and my list often changes, but these are just a few of my current favorites:
Pink Velour – Large 12-15’ small tree form with dark wine foliage and bright pink flowers. The foliage and flower combination are very striking.
Pink Velour Crape Myrtle foliage emerges dark purple and fades to a rich green and then produces vibrant pink blooms through the summer.
Dynamite – Also a small tree that grows up to 15’. Dynamite was one of the first red tree form varieties. New foliage is nearly crimson in color and changes to a rich green as it matures. Flowers are brilliant red.
It’s hard to find a more vibrant red Crape Myrtle than the Dynamite Red.
Natchez – One of the largest tree form crape myrtles reaching 25’. Foliage is rich green, and flowers are white. The cinnamon brown bark puts on a show of its own as it exfoliates.
Natchez Crape Myrtle, known for their white blossoms, also is known for adding interest to the landscape with its unique exfoliating bark.
Ebony Flame – A great accent plant that grows 10-12’ with dark red blooms on intense black foliage.
One of the nation’s leading innovators of Crape Myrtles is Oklahoma’s own, Dr. Carl Whitcomb. Dr. Whitcomb holds 32 patents and has authored five books including Know It and Grow It, a book every landscape enthusiast should own. You can see all of Dr. Whitcomb’s crape myrtles by following this link: http://drcarlwhitcomb.com/Patented_Plants.html
Crape Myrtle Bark – One of the most overlooked aspects of the plant is the bark. The bark is smooth and ranges in color from pink to gray. As the plant matures, the thin bark exfoliates to expose a different color underneath. Too often, tree form Crape Myrtles are severely pruned every spring and we never get to enjoy the beautiful bark of the mature plant.
Crape Myrtle Fall Color – Another overlooked characteristic of the plant is the fall color. Varieties range from yellow to red. Much of our fall color is found in larger trees. Crape Myrtles add fall color to the landscape below the color of the large trees.
I would challenge anyone to find another plant that offers so many features to the landscape. From the long bloom, the variety of colors, the many shapes and sizes, and the addition of exfoliating bark and good fall color, you can’t deny the Crape Myrtle a place in your landscape.
Lorne Hall
Hall Stewart Lawn + Landscape
(405)367-3873
