Other Names:  Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle

Group/Class:  Emerald Empire Series

Brand:  J. Berry Nursery

Description:

This stunning ornamental tree produces volumes of garnet red frilly blooms in summer; emerging bronze foliage matures to emerald green, then turns orange-red in fall; a captivating focal point for the landscape

Ornamental Features

Garnet King™ Emerald Empire® Crapemyrtle is covered in stunning panicles of red frilly flowers at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall. It has attractive dark green deciduous foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The oval leaves are highly ornamental and turn red and in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Garnet King™ Emerald Empire® Crapemyrtle is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous tree 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 tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Garnet King™ Emerald Empire® Crapemyrtle is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Garnet King™ Emerald Empire® Crapemyrtle will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 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 tree 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.

Garnet King™ Emerald Empire® Crapemyrtle is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting 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.