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How beautiful Crape Myrtles can be...


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Got any Crape Myrtles? Share yours here! I have 2 whites and 1 hot pink. Love them all, pics to come later after i mow.

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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Crape myrtle, like southern magnolia, is one of those plants that I always thought should be enjoyed in other people's yards, because of the maintenance involved and ultimate size. I do like the watermelon color, and also a popular white one, which I believe is called 'Natchez.' I resisted using it because I've seen so many that are enormous, out of control, or victims of "crape murder" - a form of pollarding that involves brutally hacking them back at the end of the winter.

The west side of my house gets the brunt of the late afternoon sun, so I was looking for a plant that would (in my lifetime) get big enough to cast some shade. A nurseryman recommended crape myrtle. I argued against it but was convinced to try one of the Black Diamond series, 'Red Hot', a semi-dwarf which is supposed to top out at 12 feet. It bloomed timidly last year (its first year in the ground) and was gorgeous, but it hasn't bloomed yet this year, hence no photo.

Looking forward to seeing your photos!

Edited by Manalto
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@Manalto

I cant wait to share them! They are huge! Tons of blooms all summer long. One of them reminds me of an acacia tree, just with tons of blooming flowers.

I wont be able to get any pics until tomorrow when the sun is up. 

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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1 hour ago, Manalto said:

was convinced to try one of the Black Diamond series, 'Red Hot', a semi-dwarf which is supposed to top out at 12 feet.

I bought something similar just a month or so after moving here in 2017 - Black Diamond with red blooms which according to the label 10-12'.  The plant I bought was about 5' tall and has only grown to around 7' today after 3 years.  I'm wondering if mine will ever get to 12'!  In 2018 I was given some root cuttings from a non-hybrid red crape which were just a few inches tall.  They have outgrown the Black Diamond and are now close to 8' tall and get less sun!  I'm sure these will end up being the 30' monsters!  I'll post some pics tomorrow also.

Jon Sunder

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Just an FYI.. For anyone who likes Purple flowers,  "Purple Magic" is an excellent, supposedly dwarf Crape Myrtle cultivar.. and yes, flowers are actually Purple..  Miss one i had..

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Here is my Black Diamond and a dwarf cultivar called "red rocket".  The name has nothing to do with the growth rate!

 

IMG_20200628_100229.jpg

IMG_20200628_100251.jpg

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Jon Sunder

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And here is the "old school" cultivar that were just 2" cuttings 2 years ago.  These are all planted on the west side of my house for providing shade and this one will actually do the job!

 

IMG_20200628_100049.jpg

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Jon Sunder

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They are overplanted but I don’t mind them as they are beautiful. I have to get some of those black diamond. I always see them in the big boxes.

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16 hours ago, Fusca said:

I bought something similar just a month or so after moving here in 2017 - Black Diamond with red blooms which according to the label 10-12'.  The plant I bought was about 5' tall and has only grown to around 7' today after 3 years.  I'm wondering if mine will ever get to 12'!  In 2018 I was given some root cuttings from a non-hybrid red crape which were just a few inches tall.  They have outgrown the Black Diamond and are now close to 8' tall and get less sun!  I'm sure these will end up being the 30' monsters!  I'll post some pics tomorrow also.

Dwarf varieties are defined by their slow growth so, in a way, it's a good thing if you don't want an ongoing maintenance problem. My Black Diamond crape myrtles have doubled in size in one year, so they're about 6 feet tall now. There's something off with the soil because I have them interplanted with okra (until they fill in - can't waste space, and I love me some okra) which are struggling. The soil might be missing some nutrient; they're certainly getting enough water. I added some composted cow manure because I don't want to go down the road of chemical (fertilizer) dependency. 12' would be perfect but we shall see...

Edited by Manalto
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I have this dwarf variety of crape myrtle I have been growing in a pot for at least several years.  Its flowers are of the typically seen, pink variety.  This one is destined for bonsai culture eventually.

Unlike a number of other plants (all tropical come to think of it) that have shown substantial transplant shock in the past month or so since I have been transplanting my collection, this crape myrtle hasn't missed a beat.

I both transplanted it back into the same pot but with fresh potting mix and trimmed every branchlet/twig back to the first leaf and within 4 days, nubs of green growth could be seen at each cut.  Today, 10 days after the transplant and trim, the plant looks great and is growing rapidly.

20200628_155052.jpg

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1 hour ago, Manalto said:

Dwarf varieties are defined by their slow growth so, in a way, it's a good thing if you don't want an ongoing maintenance problem. My Black Diamond crape myrtles have doubled in size in one year, so they're about 6 feet tall now. There's something off with the soil because I have them interplanted with okra (until they fill in - can't waste space, and I love me some okra) which are struggling. The soil might be missing some nutrient; they're certainly getting enough water. I added some composted cow manure because I don't want to go down the road of chemical (fertilizer) dependency. 12' would be perfect but we shall see...

Agree, not surprising that the dwarf doesn't grow as fast but wasn't expecting less than a foot of growth in a season.  I've heard the expression "sleep, creep, leap" for trees but they are just a few weeks from 3 full years in the ground and they still aren't tall enough to provide any shade for my front door.  I got frustrated enough to plant a bottlebrush (Calistemon citrinus) next to the "red rocket" which is also outgrowing it.  I like them both but might end up moving the crape.

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Jon Sunder

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31 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Agree, not surprising that the dwarf doesn't grow as fast but wasn't expecting less than a foot of growth in a season.  I've heard the expression "sleep, creep, leap" for trees but they are just a few weeks from 3 full years in the ground and they still aren't tall enough to provide any shade for my front door.  I got frustrated enough to plant a bottlebrush (Calistemon citrinus) next to the "red rocket" which is also outgrowing it.  I like them both but might end up moving the crape.

I had some type of super dwarf crape myrtle in a pot that died over this past winter because of lack of water.

It was only 4" tall and had leaves like 1/4" across.  Absolutely lilliputian and pretty red flowers.  I was disappointed at the loss, my grandma had bought it like 10 years ago and didn't like how small it stayed, so intrigued, I took it off her hands.

The plant in question was MUCH smaller than the one I posted a photo of above.

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@Fusca @palmsOrl @Manalto @Silas_Sancona @Nj Palms

I am posting the pics on a separate post here. The fence is 6ft tall. I cant even imagine trying to measure the height of these dudes. According to street view, they are pre-2007. 

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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The pink one had a tree fall on it when we moved in, it would have been much taller than this had that not have happened. The last pic i was rushing lol

20200628_191343.jpg

20200628_191350-1-1.jpg

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Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am anything but an expert on crape myrtle and I feel that while perhaps over-utilized in my area, these gorgeous, small flowering trees are popular here for good reason.  I enjoyed seeing specimens sporting a myriad of colors at the very northern edge of where they can be reliably grown in SE Pennsylvania as well as here in the Orlando area, where they flourish.  South of Orlando, I seldom recall seeing crape myrtles planted south of Lakeland to Tampa.

While I am on the subject, I would like to ask if anyone knows if crape myrtles, perhaps a few certain heat and no chill-hour tolerant varieties, have a chance of growing and flowering in Port Charlotte, Florida?  My mom really likes them and would like a few in her yard there.

I just need to remind her, "lilacs up-north, crape myrtles in Orlando and <insert gorgeous-flowering tropical substitute here> for Port Charlotte".  Any suggestions on that to replicate the lilac- or crape myrtle-look in South Florida?

Now for what I wanted to share originally.  I have had mixed luck with pruning crape myrtles in the past but I think I got it just right this time with this one in the front of my grandma's property.  We were both admiring the lovely flowers and richly colored foliage this morning.  I think the display will be even more floriferous in coming weeks, but grandma was happy, so I was too!

20200706_112903.jpg

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27 minutes ago, palmsOrl said:

I am anything but an expert on crape myrtle and I feel that while perhaps over-utilized in my area, these gorgeous, small flowering trees are popular here for good reason.  I enjoyed seeing specimens sporting a myriad of colors at the very northern edge of where they can be reliably grown in SE Pennsylvania as well as here in the Orlando area, where they flourish.  South of Orlando, I seldom recall seeing crape myrtles planted south of Lakeland to Tampa.

While I am on the subject, I would like to ask if anyone knows if crape myrtles, perhaps a few certain heat and no chill-hour tolerant varieties, have a chance of growing and flowering in Port Charlotte, Florida?  My mom really likes them and would like a few in her yard there.

I just need to remind her, "lilacs up-north, crape myrtles in Orlando and <insert gorgeous-flowering tropical substitute here> for Port Charlotte".  Any suggestions on that to replicate the lilac- or crape myrtle-look in South Florida?

Now for what I wanted to share originally.  I have had mixed luck with pruning crape myrtles in the past but I think I got it just right this time with this one in the front of my grandma's property.  We were both admiring the lovely flowers and richly colored foliage this morning.  I think the display will be even more floriferous in coming weeks, but grandma was happy, so I was too!

20200706_112903.jpg

Your best best for Crape Myrtles down in Port Charlotte would be some of the more tropical sp: Lagerstroemia speciosa, Queen's Crape, L. floribunda, L. langkawiensis, L. loudonii, etc. Like these more than most of the regular Crapes.. Bigger flowers/ foliage.

Of those, Queen's Crape, and L. floribunda, ..possibly loudonii  would be the easiest to track down.  Queen's Crape would probably survive up in Orlando as well. A lot tougher than most people imagine. Have seen then for sale here, and have heard of at least a few specimens in/ around San Diego.. other parts of Southern California..

You might talk to Eric at Leu..  He'd created a thread here discussing another large flowered Crape, L. macrocarpa.. a few years back.

Edited by Silas_Sancona
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I want to get a hold of a L. speciosa x indica hybrid. I bought a vaguely named L. speciosa cultivar over a year ago that may be a hybrid. It has the bigger leaves of L. speciosa, but the blooms aren't quite as large as a typical L. speciosa.

I use to hate on L. indica and faurei, but I appreciate them more these days. The large, old specimens that weren't crepe murdered are stunning. Beautiful trunks, tons of flowers.

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On 6/29/2020 at 5:15 AM, Manalto said:

Dwarf varieties are defined by their slow growth so, in a way, it's a good thing if you don't want an ongoing maintenance problem. My Black Diamond crape myrtles have doubled in size in one year, so they're about 6 feet tall now. There's something off with the soil because I have them interplanted with okra (until they fill in - can't waste space, and I love me some okra) which are struggling. The soil might be missing some nutrient; they're certainly getting enough water. I added some composted cow manure because I don't want to go down the road of chemical (fertilizer) dependency. 12' would be perfect but we shall see...

Speaking of Okra, I have a lone plant in a pot that is nearly 10' tall and produced a huge flower this morning. And to get myself back on topic, here is a pic of a favorite Top End tree ( a member of the crepe myrtle family, 'Pride of India', ( Lagerstroemia speciosa, also we have  Lagerstroemia indica ) Our local City Council will plant them on your verge/nature strip if you ask nicely....
There is also a native ( Lagerstroemia archeriana ) found across Northern Australia, the Kimberley Crepe Myrtle / Palmer River Crepe Myrtle.
Okra.

105901387_3667480386602037_3262620801841763040_n.jpg.578ee0ac4723c4dacb042c4b7ce9a8bd.jpg106712959_3667480466602029_3265380434650850512_n.jpg.00a7bb356acd61f2fec6f43542039a13.jpg107454811_3667480579935351_204666053262442911_n.jpg.09f4edd120f99081e0805f99bac3ed3d.jpg
The 'Pride of India' ( Lagerstroemia speciosa )
71268535_10156387613406237_8704959575738023936_n.jpg.b511f45fee0039b970dec5677992f7f0.jpg71970827_10156387613371237_2924591511297327104_n.jpg.ca1f6a591e466e9b9141c8d1ca55c3da.jpg84702789_10220122189872697_7304427468440469504_o.jpg.d0dbf8e87bb4aee4d4cfefc839b23de0.jpg86270584_10220122189432686_8778356508082569216_o.jpg.047e074fd1117cc4a76a0e4607188a6e.jpg
Lagerstroemia archeriana ( Pics by one of our local FB Gardening gurus, Byron )
91088299_1117521551916181_7366675636347207680_n.jpg.e83e400dcc886ae60592ba838446d2b1.jpg91380693_1117521695249500_4904557450339811328_n.jpg.4e3c9670d440f83da4b03a179c97dd3d.jpg



 

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The Black Diamond 'RedHot' has finally started to bloom. To my eye it's more of a watermelon pink, which I like better anyway.

00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200713161052316_COVER.thumb.jpg.eff6d8c2253b131f3a06695297170fda.jpg

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I didn't think that I would like the black foliage when I first saw these crape myrtles but I have to admit that they are striking!  Wow!  Andy!

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22 hours ago, BamaPalmer said:

I didn't think that I would like the black foliage when I first saw these crape myrtles but I have to admit that they are striking!  Wow!  Andy!

I'm not sure if my Black Diamond is the "RedHot" like @Manalto's but the bloom color looks the same.  (looks pretty red to me! :P) I've also seen them with white and very light pink flowers with the black foliage.  All three look pretty nice but I'm partial to the red.

Jon Sunder

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Thought about making a multi-colored crape myrtle out of my pink one by grafting other colored limbs to this tree. Wouldnt that be a sight?

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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5 hours ago, Fusca said:

I'm not sure if my Black Diamond is the "RedHot" like @Manalto's but the bloom color looks the same.  (looks pretty red to me! :P

The color in my camera (phone) and on my monitor is not true to life, it reads warmer and more saturated. In person, the bloom is a deep pink, like watermelon. Your comment above says that you have 'Red Rocket'. Do you have more than one of the Black Diamond varieties? Do the colors differ noticeably? 

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1 hour ago, Manalto said:

The color in my camera (phone) and on my monitor is not true to life, it reads warmer and more saturated. In person, the bloom is a deep pink, like watermelon. Your comment above says that you have 'Red Rocket'. Do you have more than one of the Black Diamond varieties? Do the colors differ noticeably? 

I have just one of the Black Diamond crapes and don't know the name of the specific variety.  In my post with the two crapes with red flowers, the first is the Black Diamond and the second is a dwarf green-leafed variety called "Red Rocket".  Both have the same colored flower - at least in my eyes!  LOL!  The only difference I see in the flower is the Black Diamond occasionally has a flower start out white when it first opens up and it stays white or turns pink instead of turning bright red like the others.  I've only seen the different colored Black Diamond varieties at the nursery.

Jon Sunder

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Way popular in Albuquerque.. overplanted for sure. Here's a nice one I saw this morning on my way to a job. They do well.. but I've seen some not do well.. and some 25'+ specimens.  

20200717_173318.jpg

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The house was built in 1923, who knows when the myrtle was planted. 

20200718_110008.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

80404B9E-0FA3-432F-B928-53B3E4A688C7.thumb.jpeg.2d3e8dd799f09a04b22ebeb5f7ee5f08.jpeg

Not sure which variety, but I enjoy the colors.  Just over my fence. 

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1 hour ago, RyManUtah said:

80404B9E-0FA3-432F-B928-53B3E4A688C7.thumb.jpeg.2d3e8dd799f09a04b22ebeb5f7ee5f08.jpeg

Not sure which variety, but I enjoy the colors.  Just over my fence. 

 

Nice photo!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Atleast two of my crape myrtles seem to be loosing leaves. They have no been producing nowhere near as much flowers as normal. The leaves spot the turn yellow, orange, and red; and then they fall off. I have narrowed this down to likely be Cercospora leaf spot. This fungus disease wouldnt kill them would it? Its done to late to take action against it, if it is going to kill them then i need know so we can find a time to cut em down.

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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  • 2 weeks later...

Most of my myrtles are quite young but I have several different colors (mostly unlabeled, received for free from an agriculture professor who was using them for experiments with disease resistance). They are among the most reliable trees for bold color in the summer here in Texas. Great bark too and very forgiving of neglect. I just wish they weren't so darn common...

My favorite at the moment is the Lunar variety in the most recent Magic Myrtle series. Reliable dark foliage and the flowers just kept on coming. I have also hardly ever seen a plant establish so fast as this one (I usually do a thorough root-washing and it usually takes a while beforeplants take hold).

I also got my hands on a Lagerstroemia Fauriei 'Fantasy' which is far less common. Though it doesn't flower as long as the Natchez, it has an interesting growth habit and an amazing bark.

Honorary mention for the Basham pink that, despite the lack of care, is a fast grower with a beautiful lighter bark. Its also listed as a Texas Superstar: 
https://texassuperstar.com/plants/bp_pinkcrapemyrtle/index.html

For various reasons (e.g., deer, transplant shock, just flowered), all specimens are currently not in flower but I'll get some pics next year (or later, if there's a second flush...).

Edited by Swolte
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I love the look of the dark foliage and red or pink flowers. Just love the look of it! I feel like it would stand out a lot in most landscapes.

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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