Height: 12 feet

Spread: 8 feet

Sunlight: full sun partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 6b

Other Names: Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle

Group/Class: Center Stage Series
Brand: Proven Winners

Description:

This outstanding, early blooming ornamental shrub is crowned with masses of frilly, bright red blooms in summer; rich, intense black foliage is highly mildew resistant; a captivating focal point for the garden or border

Ornamental Features:

Center Stage Red Crape Myrtle is smothered in stunning panicles of red frilly flowers with yellow anthers at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall. It has attractive black foliage with hints of burgundy which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and turn dark red in fall. The smooth gray bark and ruby-red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes:

Center Stage Red Crape Myrtle is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Center Stage Red Crape Myrtle is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing:

Center Stage Red Crape Myrtle will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Center Stage Red Crape Myrtle makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.