Scarlet Colorama™ Crape Myrtle

Scarlet Colorama™ Crape Myrtle delivers searing red flower clusters on a compact, upright tree. The flower clusters keep coming from summer into fall even in heat and humidity, giving sunny beds and open lawn spaces a long season of color. Botanically known as Lagerstroemia x ‘JM1’, this Colorama™ selection grows with a strong self-branching habit and typically reaches 15–20 feet tall and 8–12 feet wide. We recommend it for customers who want a red crape myrtle that has presence without needing the space of a much larger shade tree.rThis deciduous crape myrtle is built for heat, sun, and dry spells once the roots are established. The fall foliage shifts into orange-red tones, and mature bark adds winter texture after leaf drop. Its upright form works well as a specimen, a flowering screen, or a repeated planting along a long driveway. Plant it where the red bloom color can stand against lawn, stone, pale siding, or evergreen shrubs.rScarlet Colorama™ Crape Myrtle CarerPlant Scarlet Colorama™ Crape Myrtle in full sun with 6–8 hours of direct light each day for the strongest flowering. It grows in clay, loam, chalky, or sandy soils as long as the site drains well. A slightly acidic to neutral soil pH is preferred, though it can adapt to a wider pH range when drainage and sun are right.rWater deeply every other day for the first few weeks after planting, then shift to weekly watering as roots begin moving into the surrounding soil. Once established, water when the soil is dry 2–3 inches down, especially during long hot stretches. Feed once in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer. The tree will drop its leaves in fall before winter dormancy.rPrune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins, removing dead, damaged, crossing, or inward-growing branches. Skip heavy topping, since it weakens the structure and can reduce the natural shape. Remove suckers at the base and keep a 1–2 inch mulch layer over the root zone, leaving space around the trunk.rScarlet Colorama™ Crape Myrtle SpacingrSpace Scarlet Colorama™ Crape Myrtle 8–12 feet from nearby shrubs, fences, and structures so the canopy can fill out cleanly. For a flowering screen, plant each tree 10–12 feet apart, or allow more room if each tree should stand as an individual specimen. For containers, use only as a young temporary patio tree in a large 24–30 inch planter with drainage before planting in the ground. In the landscape, pair it with juniper bushes for evergreen contrast, blanket flowers for heat-loving summer color, and liriope along the front edge. For a temporary container display, use lantana and bacopa around the base.