Crepe myrtles are beautiful flowering trees that are known for their vibrant and long-lasting blooms. They are native to East Asia and are commonly found in gardens and landscapes throughout the world. The botanical name for crepe myrtles is Lagerstroemia, and they belong to the family Lythraceae. Crepe myrtles are small to medium-sized trees that usually grow up to 20 to 30 feet tall. They have smooth, peeling bark in various shades of gray, brown, and tan, which adds to their ornamental value. One of the distinctive features of crepe myrtles is their flowers, which come in a wide range of colors including white, pink, purple, and red.
Whether you spell it Crepe Myrtle or as one-word Crapemyrtle, all you need to keep your Crape Myrtles happy is a sunny location and good drainage and you'll have a picture-worthy garden in no time! Crape Myrtles need regular water until they are established, but then they can become drought-tolerant after that! Topdress the soil with a 3-4 inch layer of arborist mulch to hold in moisture and enrich the soil.
To do this, cut back the branches by one-third in early spring, removing weaker branches, or cutting them back by two-thirds to stimulate stronger growth. STEP 2 Once you ve located the perfect spot, the hole you are digging must be at least double the width and as deep as the root system you are planting.
One of the distinctive features of crepe myrtles is their flowers, which come in a wide range of colors including white, pink, purple, and red. The flowers are clustered together in large panicles that appear in summer and last for several weeks. In addition to their beautiful flowers, crepe myrtles also have attractive foliage.
Sunset Magic Crape Myrtle
The Sunset Magic™ Crape Myrtle is a marvelous new variety of purple-leaf shrub that also carries rich red blooms for many months of the year. Colored foliage is always loved in the garden, and purple is the most popular color, because it really stands out and contrasts well with other colors, such as golden leaves. This plant has very persistent coloring, holding its deep-purple color all through summer, right up to leaf-drop. It is as good as or superior to other purple-leaf shrubs, and many of those older plants flower for just a few days, and they may have disease problems too. This vigorous plant blooms from June to September, and it is free of the diseases that cause unattractive foliage and leaf drop in older types of crape myrtle. It grows between 5 and 10 feet tall, but stays only around 6 feet wide, so it fits perfectly into the smaller gardens so many of us have today.
- Rich black-purple foliage all season, for dramatic color
- Rich red flower clusters continuously from summer to fall
- Grows easily in any sunny spot, and resists drought
- Specially bred to resist the leaf disease that mar older crape myrtles
- A top-quality shrub for both foliage and flower color
Plant the Sunset Magic Crape Myrtle in a sunny location, so that it flowers prolifically and keeps the richest possible leaf coloring. It will grow rapidly and without any problems in any well-drained soil, growing well even in poor sand and gravel soils. If you have a hot, sunny spot in your garden, this shrub will thrive. It is fast-growing too, so very soon you will have a full-sized plant, bringing vibrant leaf color from spring to fall, and powerful red flowers all summer and fall too. Diseases and pests won’t bother it, and the all-season interest will really bring your garden to life.
Shrubs with colored foliage are always popular, but never more than today. This is because they give months of color in the garden for very little work, so rather than growing flowering plants that take lots of care, or shrubs that flower for just a week or two each year, they are all you need for a colorful garden. Modern gardeners love to mix and match shrubs with different leaf colors, and no colors are more popular than rich deep reds and purples – the deeper, richer and more persistent the better. There are other shrubs that have this coloring, such as the Purple Leaf Plum, but no other purple-leaf shrub has the beautiful flowers, long bloom period, and trouble-free habits of the Sunset Magic Crape Myrtle.
The Sunset Magic Crape Myrtle is an upright shrub, reaching 5 to 10 feet in height, depending on where you grow it and how you prune it. It has a relatively narrow form for a Crape Myrtle, growing only 4 to 8 feet wide, so it is ideal for a smaller garden, or for mixing among other shrubs. From the very beginning of the spring growth this deciduous shrub produces vigorous, glossy foliage that is a rich, deep black-purple color. This coloring persists throughout the season, all the way into fall, so unlike other purple-leaf shrubs that fade to murky purple-greens as summer progresses, this shrub stays rich and colorful until the leaves eventually fall.
But this is not all; once June arrives, or a little later in the northern limits of zone 7, blooms begin to appear. Every branch ends in a large cluster of flowers, 4 ½ inches long and a plump 4 inches across, packed with many flowers. The flowers are a rich red – an almost perfect ‘true’ red – which contrasts with the purple foliage to create a vibrant, majestic effect you will love. Each flower cluster lasts about 10 days, but new ones are constantly being produced, and your shrub will still be blooming away in September, only stopping when the colder weather arrives. To keep your Sunset Magic Crape Myrtle blooming to the max, remove spent flower heads by cutting back just above the first full-sized leaves. Towards the end of the season, if you stop removing spent flowers you will be rewarded with attractive seed pods, that add interest in winter after the leaves have fallen.
The leaves are simple, opposite, and deciduous, and they turn vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow in the fall. The foliage provides a lovely backdrop for the colorful blooms and adds interest to the tree's overall appearance. Crepe myrtles are relatively easy to care for and are well-suited to a variety of climates. They prefer full sun and well-draining soil, and they are drought-tolerant once established. Regular watering, especially during periods of hot, dry weather, will help keep the tree healthy and promote optimum flowering. Pruning is an important aspect of crepe myrtle care. Proper pruning helps maintain the tree's shape, promote better air circulation, and encourage abundant blooms. The best time to prune crepe myrtles is in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. It is important to avoid heavy pruning and excessive topping, as this can lead to weak, spindly growth and reduce the tree's overall health and beauty. Crepe myrtles also have several cultivars and varieties with different growth habits and flower colors. Some popular cultivars include 'Natchez', 'Dynamite', 'Sioux', and 'Tonto'. These cultivars offer a range of flower colors and tree sizes, allowing gardeners to choose the perfect crepe myrtle for their landscape. In conclusion, crepe myrtles are stunning flowering trees that add beauty and color to gardens and landscapes. With their vibrant blooms and attractive foliage, they are a popular choice for homeowners and garden enthusiasts. Proper care, including regular watering, pruning, and choosing the right cultivar, will ensure that crepe myrtles thrive and continue to provide enjoyment for many years..
Reviews for "Crepe Myrtle: A Magical Tree with Medicinal Properties"
- Sarah - 1 star
I was really disappointed with Crepe myrtle suneet magic. The flowers were very small and hardly bloomed, despite following all the care instructions. The color of the flowers was also not as vibrant as advertised, and they looked dull and faded. I was expecting a beautiful display of colorful flowers, but these just didn't deliver. I wouldn't recommend wasting your money on this variety.
- John - 2 stars
I bought Crepe myrtle suneet magic because the description said it had a long blooming season, but I found that the flowers only lasted for a short period of time. The foliage was also not as full and lush as I expected, and the overall plant looked sparse and unimpressive. I've had better luck with other crepe myrtle varieties, so I won't be purchasing this one again.
- Emily - 2 stars
I was really excited to try Crepe myrtle suneet magic in my garden, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The plant grew slowly and didn't reach the advertised height. The flowers were also quite sparse, and the color was not as vibrant as I had hoped. I gave it proper care and a good growing environment, but it simply didn't thrive like I expected. I would recommend trying a different crepe myrtle variety instead.