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Botanical name: Lagerstroemia indica ‘Baton Rouge’
This attractive miniature ornamental shrub is covered in rich red blooms in summer, followed by red, orange, and gold fall foliage; a captivating focal point for the garden or border; roots hardy to zone 6, cut back in fall in colder climates.
Other names: Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle
| Hardiness zone | 6a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | red |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | weeping |
| Mature height | 8 feet |
| Spread | 8 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Baton Rouge Crapemyrtle is smothered in stunning panicles of red frilly flowers at the ends of the branches from early summer to early fall. It has attractive dark green foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The oval leaves are highly ornamental and turn harvest gold in fall. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Baton Rouge Crapemyrtle is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a rounded form and gracefully weeping branches. 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.
Baton Rouge Crapemyrtle is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use
Baton Rouge Crapemyrtle will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot 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 50 years or more.
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 leaves 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.
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