Red Rooster Crapemyrtle
Lagerstroemia indica 'PIILAG III'
Height: 10 feet
Spread: 5 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 6a
Other Names: Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle
Description:
This beautiful, upright dwarf crapemyrtle produces volumes of brilliant red frilly blooms with white flecks; maroon emerging foliage turns deep green, then red in fall; a captivating focal point for the garden or border; also good for container planting
Ornamental Features
Red Rooster Crapemyrtle is draped in stunning panicles of red frilly flowers at the ends of the branches from early to late summer, which emerge from distinctive dark red flower buds. It has attractive dark green deciduous foliage which emerges burgundy in spring. The glossy oval leaves are highly ornamental and turn dark red in fall.
Landscape Attributes
Red Rooster Crapemyrtle is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Red Rooster Crapemyrtle is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Red Rooster Crapemyrtle will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 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 shrub 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.
Red Rooster Crapemyrtle makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants 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.
