Light
Full sun, six hours minimum. Shade means fewer flowers and mildew.
Growing guide · Shrubs
Lagerstroemia
How to grow Crape Myrtle 'Scarlet'.
Red in August heat.
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Zones
- 7–10
- Size
- Large shrub to small tree; size varies with pruning
- Spacing
- 6–10 ft apart, depending on how large you let it grow.
- Pets
- Pet-safe
Water
Weekly the first summer. After that, only in long droughts.
Planting and soil
Spring or early fall, at pot depth.
Feeding
A light balanced feed in spring. Too much nitrogen means leaves, not flowers.
Pruning
In late winter, remove suckers, crossing branches and old seed heads. Do not top it into knuckles.
Through the year
Leaves late in spring (it is not dead). Flowers midsummer into fall. Bark shows in winter.
If something's off
Powdery mildew in shade or humid air. Aphids and crape myrtle bark scale leave sooty mold; treat the scale.
Built for hot summers.
Clusters of scarlet flowers through the hottest part of summer, when most shrubs are done. Peeling bark and fall color carry it through the rest of the year.
Why we stock it: Months of red flowers from a plant that likes the heat more than you do.
Crape Myrtle 'Scarlet'from $99.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
Crape Myrtle 'Scarlet'from $99.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it