Crape Myrtle With Red Blossoms

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.