Description
This new addition to the crape myrtle family is known for its deep rich red blooms that rebloom all summer long and well into fall. The shrub like form of this crape myrtle make it the perfect backdrop in garden beds, border gardens and home edging. Since it is compact it is very tolerant of colder conditions and can be used where other crape myrtles might fail.
The blooms of a crape myrtle are a magnificent display that attract flocks of hummingbirds and butterflies through the summer months. These red crape myrtles produce 6” to 12” clusters of red flowers that can last for many weeks or even months. The leaves of crape myrtles are a unique glossy red/green and the growth rate of a crape myrtle is incredible, these trees can create shoots of new growth of more than a foot in just a few short weeks.
This crape myrtle will maintain a shrub-like form, which makes it idea for weather with colder winters zone 6b or colder.
| Bloom Color: | Deep Red |
| Bloom Period: | Summer to fall |
| Fall Color: | Orange and red with hints of yellow |
| Foliage Color: | Green with red/orange highlights |
| Genus & Species: | Lagerstroemia hybrid 'PIILAG-V' |
| Growth Rate: | Fast |
| Mature Height: | 4 to 5 ft. |
| Mature Spread: | 4 to 5 ft. |
| Soil Type: | Well drained soil; crape myrtles are drought tolerant |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun |
| Zone: | 5b to 10 |
General care for any tree or shrub is easy, but like any living thing will require your attention. Please educate yourself and follow these simple rules.
Caring for your Ornamental - Crape Myrtle
Once established, crape myrtles become quite drought tolerant. They can do just as well in dry sandy soil as they do in moist well-draining soil and are fast growing often putting on two feet or more of new growth in a single season. When caring for crape myrtles it is important to understand that they often remain dormant well into the spring (or early summer), especially in cooler climates after being transplanted. Once the root system establishes, the crape myrtle will reliably emerge sooner, but still leafs out late in the spring compared to other trees. Cold weather is detrimental to crape myrtle trees, so when planting in zone 6 it is recommend to plant out of the winter wind if possible. Heavy mulching of 3-4 inches will protect the roots of a crape myrtle in the winter. If a winter is particularly harsh, the crape myrtle may lose branches or parts of its trunk, but if the root system is protected, it will sprout new branches and keep a more shrub-like form.