Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Best Red Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Best Red is a new deciduous crepe myrtle from the USA with stunning black foliage and bright red frilly blooms in summer. It’s an excellent choice for mass planting in a sheltered sunny garden. 

Lagerstroemia are crepe myrtles that are native to the warm regions of south-east Asia, northern Australia, and the Indian subcontinent. They were named after the plant hunter Magnus von Lagerstrom who collected exotic plants on behalf of the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s. There are many crepe myrtle cultivars, but the new Black Diamond series bred in the States is a series of highly unusual lagerstroemias because they have stunning black foliage.

Black Diamond Best Red’s black foliage emerges in early spring on dark stems and persists through summer until autumn when it turns a rich purple shade and eventually drops when the frosts arrive. Its black foliage is an outstanding foil for its frilly red blooms with bright yellow centres that appear in summer and also last until the frosts.

Lagerstroemia Best Red’s flowers cover the shrub in an abundance of blooms that are tactile, crinkly and very showy. This is a very unusual crepe myrtle that isn’t common in the UK. It’s a real talking point and a garden show stopper from the emergence of its striking black leaves in spring through to its vivid autumn colour. 

Height And Spread of Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Best Red
This beautiful red crepe myrtle reaches 3.5 by 2.5 metres, so it’s a good choice for small gardens and compact borders.

How Hardy Is Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Best Red
Crepe Myrtle Best Red will cope with UK winters if it’s planted in full sun with protection from wind. It needs well-drained roots and as much sun as you can give it.

How To Use Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Best Red
Great planted en-masse with matching red crepe myrtles or others from the Black Diamond series such as Lagerstroemia Pure White, this beautiful shrub enjoys a mixed flower border or it excels as a specific shrub in a container on a sunny balcony or patio. It’s an excellent coastal plant and boosts a Mediterranean or tropical garden with a big hit of intense colour.

Its frilly flowers suit country cottage-style gardens, and its modern black foliage with red blooms are modern enough for urban courtyards. As long as it has warmth and shelter Crepe Myrtle Best Red is a versatile shrub.

How To Care For Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Best Red
Crape Myrtle Best Red needs all the sun you can give it, shelter from cold drying winds, and you must avoid frost pockets. If you can give crape myrtle these conditions it will thrive despite a reputation for being difficult.
It will grow in the majority of well-drained soils including chalk or sand and pruning as long as the roots are well drained. Trim back its tips if necessary in late winter or early spring and boost it with a thick layer of organic mulch when the new foliage begins to emerge.