Lagerstroemia indica 'New Orleans'
Crapemyrtle, Crepeflower
Crapemyrtle, Crepeflower
Type Shrub, groundcover, woody plant
Hardy range 7A to 9A
Height 24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Spread 4' to 8' / 1.20m to 2.40m
Growth rate Slow
Form Spreading or horizontal
Exposure Full sun
Persistence Deciduous
Hardy range 7A to 9A
Height 24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Spread 4' to 8' / 1.20m to 2.40m
Growth rate Slow
Form Spreading or horizontal
Exposure Full sun
Persistence Deciduous
Bloom Color Purple
Bloom Time Spring through Fall
The flowers are very showy.
Bloom Time Spring through Fall
The flowers are very showy.
Environment
This plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.
This plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.
Leaf Color Green
Fall Color Red and yellow
This plant has attractive fall colors.
Fall Color Red and yellow
This plant has attractive fall colors.
Culture Notes
Crapemyrtle grows best in full sun with rich, moist soil but will tolerate less hospitable positions in the landscape just as well, once it becomes established. However, plants left on their own in highway medians appear to be less vigorous unless ample mulch is applied out to the drip line. It grows well in limited soil spaces in urban areas such as along boulevards, in parking lots, and in small pavement cutouts if provided with some irrigation until well established. They tolerate clay and alkaline soil well.
Many crapemyrtles are magnets for a host-specific aphid that only infests crapemyrtle, not other plants. The damage this causes is not lethal to crapemyrtle. Many beneficial insects which feed on pests that damage other landscape plants use this aphid for food. In this way, the crapemyrtle aphid serves as prey for beneficial insects. Therefore, planting crapemyrtle that attract aphids can enhance biological control of insect pests on other plants in the landscape.
New growth can be pinched during the growing season to increase branchiness and flower number. Topping branches more than a half inch diameter disfigures the nice trunk and branch structure. You can remove the spent flower heads to encourage a second flush of flowers and to prevent formation of the brown fruits. Severe pruning or topping can stimulate basal sprouting which can become a constant nuisance, requiring regular removal. Some trees sprout from the base of the trunk and roots even without severe heading. This can be a maintenance nuisance. The best time to prune crape myrtle is toward the middle or end of the dormant period. Pruning too early will stimulate sprouting behind the cuts and make the tree susceptible to cold damage.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
Crapemyrtle grows best in full sun with rich, moist soil but will tolerate less hospitable positions in the landscape just as well, once it becomes established. However, plants left on their own in highway medians appear to be less vigorous unless ample mulch is applied out to the drip line. It grows well in limited soil spaces in urban areas such as along boulevards, in parking lots, and in small pavement cutouts if provided with some irrigation until well established. They tolerate clay and alkaline soil well.
Many crapemyrtles are magnets for a host-specific aphid that only infests crapemyrtle, not other plants. The damage this causes is not lethal to crapemyrtle. Many beneficial insects which feed on pests that damage other landscape plants use this aphid for food. In this way, the crapemyrtle aphid serves as prey for beneficial insects. Therefore, planting crapemyrtle that attract aphids can enhance biological control of insect pests on other plants in the landscape.
New growth can be pinched during the growing season to increase branchiness and flower number. Topping branches more than a half inch diameter disfigures the nice trunk and branch structure. You can remove the spent flower heads to encourage a second flush of flowers and to prevent formation of the brown fruits. Severe pruning or topping can stimulate basal sprouting which can become a constant nuisance, requiring regular removal. Some trees sprout from the base of the trunk and roots even without severe heading. This can be a maintenance nuisance. The best time to prune crape myrtle is toward the middle or end of the dormant period. Pruning too early will stimulate sprouting behind the cuts and make the tree susceptible to cold damage.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
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