ATP Podcast #91: Crepe Myrtles

By dave
July 2, 2015

There is no flowering shrub in the south that is more ubiquitous and more loved than the mighty crepe myrtle, and that's what we're going to talk about on this episode. Dave will share the history, talk about the new exciting cultivars, and share tips on how to grow it.

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Jul 4, 2015 12:35 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Enjoyable podcast as always!

I am in the market for a red blooming crepe myrtle tree. Something around 10-12' tall at maturity. I only have a small residential lot, so I am thinking a "dwarf" crepe myrtle. I just don't yet know which one I should get. Mildew resistant, easily pruned into tree form, and long bloom period (90 days sounds good to me). Any suggestions I could consider Dave?

Reason for red? A beacon for the hummingbirds in the Fall !!! Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing

(But I happen to love the color red, too!)
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
Last edited by beckygardener Jul 4, 2015 12:37 PM Icon for preview
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Jul 4, 2015 4:13 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Definitely look into Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia 'Cheyenne') (unfortunately we don't have photos.)

It matures to 8 to 10 feet and has brilliant deep red blooms.

Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica Dynamite®) is another excellent choice but might mature a bit taller. If you like the dark foliage you should consider Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia 'Ebony Flame') which is stunning, but it's unknown exactly how tall it'll get since it's so new.
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Jul 4, 2015 4:55 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Dave - THANK YOU very much for the suggestions.

I can not find Cheyenne anywhere on the internet for sale. I did find one called, "Tonto" which is supposed to get 8-15' tall. That height would probably be okay. I want to plant it right out front about 10' from my driveway and also at the corner of my septic drain field. The septic tank is at the opposite end of the drain field. I figured the drain field would probably fertilize it! Though I am not sure if that is a good idea or not to plant in that location, but I have limited space in my small front yard. I had a queen crepe myrtle there originally and it had to be removed when we had our drain field redone. We tried saving it to no avail. So that is why I am looking for a new smaller crepe myrtle .... and I really want red blooms on this one.

Do you know anything about Tonto? I get conflicting info about the height of these trees and the true color of the blooms on different websites. Confused
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
Last edited by beckygardener Jul 4, 2015 5:08 PM Icon for preview
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Jul 4, 2015 5:37 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Yes, I think you'd be very happy with Tonto. It's classified as a semi-dwarf and I bet it'd be just what you want.

One more data point: My 4 year old Ebony Flame is only about 6' tall. I haven't heard of any in existence that are much bigger than that.
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Jul 4, 2015 6:27 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Dave - Thank you. I am going to check locally first and then go mail order if I can't find any here. Thank You!
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
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