Tonto Crape Myrtle Shrub

The Tonto Crape Myrtle Shrub (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tonto') is known to be the best cold hardy, pinkish-red Crape Myrtle variety available! An upright rounded shrub that thrives in heat and humidity, Crape Myrtles have long-lasting blossoms to fill your landscape in brilliance!

The Tonto Crape Myrtle is valued mainly for its long period of striking summer flowers which feed a wide variety of Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies! This offering from the National Arboretum is a vigorous grower to its mature height of 8-10 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide, growing into naturally rounded, low-maintenance forms!=

Large clusters of red flowers appear on the tips of new branches beginning in early summer and continuing into fall. In autumn, the leaves transition to brilliant shades of orange and red. The fine, tan, exfoliating bark is exposed during the winter months, giving wonderful winter interest to your landscape. Crape Myrtles are hardy throughout USDA growing zones 6 to 9, even northern gardeners can grow these fast-growing shrubs as annual accents!

Planting and Application:

The Tonto Crape Myrtle is ideally suited for formal or informal design in the home landscape, street plantings, and community plantings. Prune smaller to use as a foundation hedge, or full-sized as a foundation or hedge anchor! The lush foliage will soften your home's corners or add a bold focal point to landscape beds!

It can be planted as a specimen or in groups and looks attractive when underplanted with a groundcover to further accent these rosy red blooms! Set a single Tonto on a front yard berm or plant on either side of your front steps! Even as container specimens, you can use these dramatic focal points around the sunny porch and patio!

Tonto Crape Myrtles are easy to grow and are often used for hedges for privacy and screening, plant them 4 to 5 feet apart. Use as backdrops to garden beds or as brilliant flowering property definition with these fast-growing ornamentals!

• Striking Rosy Red Summer Flowers
• Long-Lasting Blooms For Pollinators & Hummingbirds
• Fall Color & Textured Bark For Winter Interest
• Can Be Kept At Any Size
• Hedges, Specimens, Containers & Brilliant Landscape Workhorses

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Crape Myrtles tolerate a wide range of soils, from heavy clay to loam, but it's critical to choose a location with well-drained soil. Plant them in full sun with at least 8 hours of direct sunlight. Always select a planting location that favors early morning sun, as this will help to quickly dry the leaves off from any overnight dew.

Provide regular moisture for new plants, but once established Red Crape Myrtle is a top choice where responsible water use is a concern, as it will become drought tolerant once it's established in your yard. You'll see these quite often in drier climates as medium strip hedges because of their moderate height and low maintenance needs. Top the soil with a 3-4 inch thick layer of mulch to provide shade to the root systems. You'll cut down on soil moisture evaporation and extend the periods between watering.

Deadhead any spent flower clusters as they fade to encourage more blooms during the active growing season. Blooming on new wood, prune to shape in early spring to remove crossing branches and control size. Remove the oldest wood at ground level periodically when renewal pruning every 3-5 years.

• Full Sun For The Most Blooms
• Widely Adaptable To Any Well-Drained Soil
• Drought Tolerant Once Established
• Prune Early Spring
• Deer Don't Prefer the Taste

Order your own radiant rosy red Tonto Crape Myrtle Shrub today and enjoy years of brilliant blooms and fast growth! Now available at Nature Hills!