Watermelon Red Crape Myrtle

The Watermelon Red Crape Myrtle is a magnificent small specimen tree in the classic tradition of the best crape myrtles. It has enormous heads full of extravagantly frilly blooms that are the exact red-pink of watermelon flesh. It grows quickly into a tree approaching 25 feet tall, with a broad, rounded crown spreading over 20 feet across. The attractive mottled bark is especially effective in winter, and the glossy, dark-green leaves turn yellow-oranges in fall. Expect a profusion of blooms from mid-summer all the way into the fall. Even the seed pods are an attractive winter decoration.

• Foot-long sprays of dazzling red-pink blooms
• Superb smaller tree over 20 feet tall
• Bronzy spring leaves and orange-yellow fall colors
• Perfect for a show-stopping lawn specimen
• Thrives in heat and tolerates drought well

Place the Watermelon Red Crape Myrtle in full sun, or it won’t achieve its best in flowering. Grow it in any well-drained soil, including poor soils and urban gardens. Once established it is drought resistant and needs very little attention, but of course some watering in summer and some spring fertilizer will give the best results. This tree has excellent resistance to the powdery mildew that can disfigure some older varieties.