Hardiness, hotter summers helping colorful crape myrtles find homes here

By Trevor Cameron / The Golfing Gardener

Speaking as a “plantaholic” who likes just about all things with foliage, fronds or needles, one plant I started to salivate over in the 1990s was crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.).

For us in northern latitudes, these mythical plants were uncommon and were perceived as difficult to grow, yet I would travel just a bit south of here into Oregon’s Willamette Valley every summer and see these wonderful plants blooming every August — municipal streets lined with them and specimens blooming in landscapes everywhere I looked. How could this be? Why could I not have one of these in my yard?

Many crape myrtles are plenty hardy enough and grow nicely in our area, but we were never quite hot enough to see any kind of reliable summer bloom. However, over these last three summers, I have seen them blooming consistently in our area.

Crape myrtles truly are a plant for all four seasons. There are numerous options out there, from larger growers to dwarfs, and often these plants can be found as single stem “trees,” or the more attractive, natural multi-stem “shrub” form. This is a specimen plant to be used in the hottest spots in the landscape as heat is what brings out the flowers for six to eight weeks in August and September. All are deciduous and will turn stunning shades of gold, orange and scarlet in the fall, and then, over dormant winter months, the bark will impress with interesting mottled colors. Plus, they’re resistant to browsing deer.

A few things should be contemplated as you consider a crape myrtle or two for your own yard. First and foremost is winter hardiness. Remember to pay attention to the specific hardiness zone for each specific variety. Some Zone 7 plants can be found, but many newer varieties now go down to Zone 6, an even safer proposition for our area. Second, accept the fact that these plants leaf out very late in spring and will be dormant a bit longer than other, typical deciduous plants in our region. Third, be sure they have adequate drainage and are not sitting above clay where water pools up in the wet winter months. They are very tolerant of a variety of soils, but boggy clay is far from ideal.

All crape myrtles bloom on new growth, so an early spring pruning will not affect blooming potential. I highly doubt much pruning will even be needed, but if you need to tidy them up at all, do it after frost in early April before growth appears, not in the fall or winter. I would always remove lower suckering branches (say, anything less than a pencil in diameter) and limb these up as they grow. This will highlight the bark as they age and, with larger growers, allow for a natural looking specimen that can spread upward and then out.

Crape myrtles are extremely low maintenance, as you will discover. Honestly, they don’t even need much fertilizer. I would simply apply one dose a season in early spring, using a balanced organic rose/flower type food, and mulch over the top with some compost. Once they start to bloom in mid summer, take a minute to deadhead them once flowers are spent, and often they will repeat bloom and continue to provide color well into the fall.

These always provide lasting autumn color, but there are a number of crape myrtles with lovely foliage color during the growing season, as well. Many have bright red new growth as an example, while others leaf out purple-black and remain that way all through the season. Talk about contrast: Picture a blackish foliage in your yard popping with a coral bloom. Flower colors can be found in red/scarlet, coral, shades of pink, purple, lavender and white. This is where you can potentially find a crape myrtle to match your own gardening style — add a foliage color with your desired flower color and you have exactly what the doctor ordered: a stunning summer-blooming shrub or small tree that your neighbors will develop plant envy over.

Here are a few suggestions on some to seek out that offer superior hardiness and an array of growth habits.

Bellini crape myrtles: These wonderful dwarfs from Star Roses and Plants are hardy to Zone 5 even, and sport a shorter shrubby habit perfect for small sunny locations and even large containers. Raspberry and Grape are two more common colors around, both of which may grow roughly 5 feet tall by 5 feet wide.

Magical Series crape myrtles: These will pop with both foliage and flower power. The First Editions Collection from Bailey Nurseries has given us options for any flower color, and a number of these are the ones with the deep-purple black foliage, like Sunset Magic, Twilight Magic and Midnight Magic. Other green foliage selections are just as nice, like Coral Magic, Purple Magic and Plum Magic. These are all hardy to Zone 7 and grow just a little larger in the 8-feet-tall-by-8-feet-wide range, but see individual flavors for exact heights and spreads.

Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei: These are some of the first hardy hybrids I saw in our area, mainly two called Pecos (pink) and Zuni (lavender purple). These are larger specimens in the 12-feet-tall-and-wide range, both with excellent structure and reliable bloom. Both are hardy down to Zone 6 and make great specimens if you need a larger grower. Others are coming out that are smaller, as well, like Enduring Red, a re-blooming bright scarlet bloomer that stays more like 5 feet tall and wide and has lovely reddish new growth.

Many of the local garden centers purchase these plants from growers in warmer areas of the country, which means that they bloom a bit early in a retail setting. Many of them are in bud and bloom now.

There are many other suitable choices for our area, and I hope you will do some investigation on these summer bloomers. As we bring on the summer heat, grab yourself a new crape myrtle and, like me, you will be rewarded with a stunning plant for all seasons.

Free class

Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville will host “DIY Fun With Succulents” at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20. For more information or to sign up, go to www.sunnysidenursery.net/classes.

Trevor Cameron is a certified professional horticulturist (CPH) and serves as general manager for Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville. He can be reached at sunnysidenursery@msn.com.