Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Crape Myrtle With Red Blossoms
Crape Myrtle With Red Blossoms. Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) are large, showy trees with big bloom clusters, widely spreading crowns, beautiful fall color and attractive, peeling bark. They range in height from 4 feet to 30 feet tall and thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. Crape myrtle flowers labeled...
Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) are large, showy trees with big bloom clusters, widely spreading crowns, beautiful fall color and attractive, peeling bark. They range in height from 4 feet to 30 feet tall and thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. Crape myrtle flowers labeled as "red" usually have a touch of pink or purple to them, and their blooms are described as "ruby-red," "cherry-red" and "watermelon red."
Background
In 1997 Dr. Carl Whitcomb introduced "Dynamite" (Lagerstroemia indica "Dynamite"), called the first cultivar with true red flowers. Whitcomb later bred variations of this tree, including "Red Rocket" (Lagerstroemia indica "Red Rocket"), "Tightwad Red" (Lagerstroemia indica "Tightwad Red") and "Siren Red" (Lagerstroemia indica "Siren Red"). In 2003, the U.S. National Arboretum’s cultivar, "Cheyenne" (Lagerstroemia indica x faureri "Cheyenne"), with true red blooms, was released. For best color, crape myrtles need full sun.
Full-Sized Cultivars
"Dynamite’ crape myrtle reaches 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide, with a stiff, upright habit. Without full sun, its flowers can fade to white. "Red Rocket" reaches 20 feet tall and wide with large clusters of cherry-red blooms. Cloudy weather causes flecks of white on the flowers. "Arapaho," (Lagerstroemia indica x faureri "Arapaho") released in 2003 by the U.S. National Arboretum, bears pinkish-red blooms and grows to 20 by 10 feet.
Medium-Sized Cultivars
"Cheyenne" is a rounded, shrubby crape myrtle that grows about 8 feet wide and tall in 12 years. It has bright red flowers and excellent disease-resistance. "Siren Red" bears dark red flowers and grows to about 12 feet tall and 5 feet wide. "Tonto" grows 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide with flowers described as "fuchsia-red."
Dwarf Cultivars
Michael Dirr’s breeding program of dwarf cultivars, the Razzle Dazzle series, released "Cherry Dazzle" (Lagerstroemia indica "Cherry Dazzle") in 2006. Its blooms are borne on a shrub that grows 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. The Razzle Dazzle series also was bred for a wider range of hardiness and thrives in USDA zones 6 through 10. Another dwarf crape myrtle, "Petite Red Imp" has crimson blooms and grows 4 to 6 feet tall with a rounded shape.
