Pushing the Crape Myrtle Envelope

Take heart, those of you who are sick to death of pink and lavender crape myrtles.  This coming spring, two new crape myrtles will be on the market, both with red blooms.  Dr. Margaret Pooler, a research geneticist at the US National Arboretum in Washington D.C.,where the plants were developed, says "I would not call this a true red, as much as we'd like to...but this is pretty close." 

The picture at left is Lagerstroemia 'Cheyenne,' which has a shrubby habit, glossy, dark green leaves tinged with maroon, and a light reddish tan exfoliating bark.  It'll reach about 8' tall and wide in 12 years, grows well in hot, difficult sites, and flowers best in a heavy loam to clay soil in full sun.
(Click on images for larger view)

The second new cultivar is Lagerstroemia 'Arapaho,' (image on right) which reaches 20' tall and 10' wide in about 16 years.  It's leaves are similar to Cheyenne, but its bark exfoliates to a light tan color.

Arapaho was the first hybrid ever derived from crossing three species. Two of them are well known cultivars, L. indica and L. fauriei, but the third species, L. limii, has little ornamental value.  According to Pooler, "it was crossed in basically with the intent of seeing what could happen."  And voila! -- the reddest blooms yet in existence.

The US National Arboretum began breeding crape myrtles more than 30 years ago in an attempt to produce a cultivar that was resistant to powdery mildew.  Success was achieved after scientists brought back seeds of L.fauriei from Asia in the late 1950's and crossed it with L. indica.  Since then, the Arboretum has introduced more than 30 crape myrtles, ranging in size from tall trees to dwarf versions suitable for containers.

Crape myrtles simply do not have the genetic material to survive north of zone 7 (the roots to zone 6). However, there is hope for those of you who live in northern climates.  Arboretum scientists report that fast-growing crape myrtles, like Natchez, can be grown as perennials.  They die back to the ground, but they'll come up again in spring, reach a height of about 3 or 4 feet, and are a great novelty in the northern shrub border.  Smaller crape myrtles can be grown in containers and brought into a garage for the winter.  As long as they're kept just above freezing, you can move them out again in spring.

  Photos: USDA

Comments

[KATY KING]

do you have the name of a nursery that would have access to the 'natchez' crepe myrtle? i live in central illinois and would love to put some of these in my garden since i spent many years in the south and loved these in my gardens. thank you.