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| I live in the southern portion of Zone 6.
Yesterday I saw this tidy, true red (maybe a little toward the dark side of red) crape myrtle. It was probably about 4 feet tall. I absolutely have to have this vigorous looking plant in my yard. Any clues on what it might be...or can you direct me to a website that might help. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 10:40
| The reddest that I know is Dynamite...I don't like pink or lavender so am always searching for 'red'! Dynamite is also known as Lagerstroemia indica 'Whit II' so you can search under that name, too. The foliage is superb - gorgeous bronze leaves - another thing that recommends it. Haven't had it long enough to know what the bark is like. Monrovia lists the bark as 'attractive' but that could have a wide range. There are a bunch of others, none of which I've seen in the trade here (despite cm's being very common in this area as street trees, etc) but you might have them there. Here's a page from University of Florida Extension with some background. Googling 'red crape myrtle' gets you a fair number of hits, as well. |
Here is a link that might be useful: UF Extension Red-Flowered Crape Myrtles
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| The plant is 'Whit II', Dynamite is a marketing device. This goes on all the time now, with what the unwary are liable to think is the name of the plant actually being a trademark or registered trademark, the cultivar name being something deliberately hard to use. 'Whit II' is from Carl E. Whitcomb (Lacebark Inc.) in Oklahoma, and has been discussed on his web site. I tried a liner (from forestfarm) on Camano Island (Island County, WA), it didn't take off (let alone bloom) even though on a south wall. I have also seen larger stock of this introduction offered at a Seattle garden center. But probably it needs a hotter climate, those crape myrtles that do manage to bloom in my area are either in the hottest possible planting sites or are less demanding of heat than usual, or both. |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 14:38
| Dynamite is one of the best performers here...so your thoughts about heat may be correct. lIllinois ought to get hot enough; they just have to deal with winter dieback. OP you should find out which of the reds is readily (reddily!) available near you and performs well in your zone. You could even knock on the door of the house whose yard you saw it in... |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Wed, Jul 4, 12 at 14:38
| Dynamite is one of the best performers here...so your thoughts about heat may be correct. lIllinois ought to get hot enough; they just have to deal with winter dieback. OP you should find out which of the reds is readily (reddily!) available near you and performs well in your zone. You could even knock on the door of the house whose yard you saw it in... |
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| Here's a list of red crapes. Some may be redder than others, but all are pretty reddish. If you want to use the list to pick one for your landscape, be sure to confirm the provided info. Cultivar (TM Name)/ Height / Form / Mildew Resistance |
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- Posted by CrapeMyrtleGuy (My Page) on Tue, Jul 10, 12 at 12:35
| I've got 300 Dynamite Crape Myrtles growing and should be ready in 1 gallon pots by end of July. The bigger trees on the side are Dynamites CrapeMyrtleGuy.com |
Here is a link that might be useful: Crape Myrtle Guy
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