Plant Answers

Weekly Express-News Article
“San Antonio Life”
By Calvin R. Finch, PhD, SAWS Water Resources Director, and Horticulturist
Saturday, July 28, 2007

“Crape Myrtles”

Crape myrtles are blooming all over San Antonio. They bloom in white, pink, lavender and red. Varieties range in size from under three feet tall to over 30 feet tall. Crape myrtles bloom from two to four months per summer depending on the variety and the weather. Plant them in full sun. They are a good xeriscape plant. Select your crape myrtle for the color of its bloom, its eventual size, its fall leaf color, its bark patterns and its resistance to powdery mildew. They can be planted now. Here are a few of my favorite selections to consider. All of them have mildew resistance. For a more extensive list visit, plant answers.com.

Natchez is one of the favorite tall crape myrtles (30 feet). It has a white bloom that makes a show four months of the summer. The bark is a beautiful cinnamon color.

Tuscarora is the most popular pink crape myrtle. It is less shrubby and more upright than Natchez, but almost as tall. Tuscarora has red orange fall color and light-brown bark.

Muskogee is a popular carpe myrtle because of its long bloom period. Most summers it blooms for a full four months. Muskogee has lavender flowers and attractive red fall foliage.

Red is the favorite crape myrtle color. Arapaho has true red blooms on a tree that grows to over 20 feet. It also has yellow orange fall color, and light tan bark. Dynamite is smaller than Arapaho, 15 feet, but also makes a good small tree. Cheyenne’s bloom is red and it grows to eight feet.

For smaller crape myrtles consider Pokomoke for pink blooms on a plant that only grows to three feet. Velva’s Royal Delight has a purple flower. It grows to between three and five feet tall.