Months of bright, hot pink flowers that glow against striking purple-tinted foliage!
This small tree blooms copiously from midsummer to frost, so you get to enjoy the color show for months. The blooms are of an unusually bright pink that draws the eye from a distance, and they really shine against the dark, luxuriant foliage.
Leaves unfurl in late spring as wine red, become dark green with a purple wash in summer, and take on shades of russet and orange in the fall, giving you three seasons of colorful interest. And they are highly resistant to powdery mildew, which often spoils the looks of Crape Myrtles by the end of the growing season.
Bred to grow only half the size of regular Crape Myrtles, it needs no pruning to look great in your garden; in fact, it will bloom more profusely if you don't prune it! It maxes out at only 10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, though it can be slightly bigger with age. This relatively small size makes it a great choice to use under power lines and in limited spaces.
One of the hardiest ever - a full zone further north than most Crape Myrtles!
In fact, the august Pennsylvania Horticultural Society assigns it to zones 7-10, and gave it a Gold Medal for being "a proven-hardy Crape Myrtle suitable for more northern gardens" - and they should know, having half their state in Zone 6!
Even the bark is beautiful!
Smooth bark sheds thin layers throughout the year, creating a multi-toned mottled effect that is very beautiful. It resembles the bark, as well as leaves, of true Myrtle trees, which gives it the 'Myrtle' part of its name; the 'Crape' come from the flowers' resemblance to crinkled texture of crape cloth, and was first used back in the 1600s!
Highly resistant to powdery mildew, bane of Crape Myrtles! It loves heat, tolerates drought well, grows in most any soil, even poor soil or clay, though it requires good drainage. It helps to add compost or humus to your soil when planting, and also to water regularly the first year as it establishes its roots, though natural rainfall generally suffices after it is established. Pruning is needed only for general shaping or to cut out dead or damaged branches. If a severe winter causes some die-back, simply prune out any affected stems; it will not affect blooming, as this tree blooms on new wood. You may apply a slow-release fertilizer once a year in the spring, but over fertilization will result in lush foliage and fewer flowers.