UT Gardens' Plant of the Month for July 2007:

Crepe Myrtle

Submitted by Andrew Pulte

Things keep getting more and more interesting when it comes to crepe myrtles. If you are not familiar with this wonderfully versatile, small tree, then it’s time to look into adding one to your yard. This plant has always been a standard in the southern landscape, and many new varieties have now been developed for smaller gardens.

A member of the genus Lagerstroemia, crepe myrtle continues to increase in popularity as new selections become available that are tailored to a variety of conditions. Almost any landscape can support a crepe myrtle. In addition to the traditional large shrub and tree varieties, a quick Internet search will yield several new dwarf and miniature varieties of crepe myrtle that are now commercially available. Some of these varieties are not tall (less than two feet), weep, and carpet the ground.

During the heat of summer the crepe myrtle abounds with flowers that can range from white to deep velvety red. When the leaves begin to fall, the bark takes center stage and crepe myrtle becomes a sculptural piece of your garden. Its bark can range from an exfoliating rusty cinnamon to a pale gray-white in color.

Unfortunately, severe pruning or topping of crepe myrtle has become a common practice to maintain shrub size. This pruning style ruins the natural shape of the plant and should be avoided. A well-chosen variety requires little to no pruning.

Here are a few proven crepe myrtle selections:

Miniature Varieties (under 3 feet tall)

‘Baton Rouge’ with red flowers and a miniature, weeping habit, 2- to 3-ft tall
‘Delta Blush’ with light pink flowers and a miniature, weeping habit, 2- to 3-ft tall
‘Rosy Carpet’ with rose-colored flowers and a miniature, weeping habit, 1-ft tall
‘Sacramento’ with rose red flowers and a miniature mounding habit, 2- to 3-ft tall

Dwarf Varieties (3- to 5-feet tall)

‘Chickasaw’ with lavender-pink flowers and a dwarf habit, 3-ft tall
‘Firecracker’ with light red flowers and a dwarf habit, 3- to 5-feet tall
‘Pocomoke’ with rose-pink flowers and a compact mounding habit, 3-ft tall

Semi-Dwarf (5- to 10-feet tall)

‘Acoma’ with white flowers and a spreading habit, 5- to 10-feet tall
‘Caddo’ with bright pink flowers and a spreading habit, 5- to 10-feet tall
‘Pecos’ with medium pink flowers and a globose habit, 5- to 10-feet tall
‘Prairie Lace’ with pink flowers edged in white and a compact upright habit, 5- to 10-feet

Andrew Pulte is a graduate student in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences. He works under the guidance of Dr. Susan Hamilton, director of the UT Gardens. The UT Gardens are a project of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station. The original gardens are located in Knoxville on Neyland Drive. Additional gardens are located in Jackson on Airways Blvd. Admission is free, and the Gardens are open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours.

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Contact:

Patricia C. McDaniels, (865) 974-7141