Lagerstroemia Black Diamond Crimson Red Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia Crimson Red is a deciduous red flowering crape myrtle with almost black foliage. It’s a new ornamental variety that flowers from July to September in sheltered, sunny gardens.

Crape Myrtle is native to South East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and northern Australia. It was named after plant hunter Magnus von Lagerstrom who collected plants for the famous botanist Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s. This cultivar’s full name is Lagerstroemia BLACK Diamond Crimson Red, Black Diamond being a new series of Crape Myrtle bred in Texas, USA for their black foliage. Crimson Red is a very striking shrub. Its black foliage emerges in spring and is followed by vivid crimson red ‘crepe paper’ flowers from July to September. It will grow as a shrub or a small tree and fill the garden with exotic frilly blooms. It’s perfect for country cottage-style sunny borders.

Botanical Name - Synonymous with Lagerstroemia BLACK SOLITARE Crimson Red. 

Height and Spread of Lagerstroemia Crimson Red
This is a compact crape myrtle that won’t outgrow its welcome. It reaches a maximum height of two metres and spreads over 1.5 metres.

How Hardy Is Lagerstroemia Crimson Red
Crape Myrtle can cope with mild frosts in a sunny, sheltered position with well-drained roots. It’s best suited to mild, coastal areas.

How To Use Lagerstroemia Crimson Red
Crape Myrtle Crimson Red is a knockout ornamental tree for sunny wall-side borders and heat-filled urban courtyards. It will grow as part of a bright, informal mixed border and in a large well-watered container too. Crape Myrtle’s frilly flowers suit cottage-style spaces, but Black Solitaire Crimson Red’s black leaves and red blooms are modern enough to suit townhouses and smart urban gardens.

How To Care For Lagerstroemia Crimson Red
Crape Myrtle has a reputation for being difficult, but this isn’t the case if it’s grown in the right spot.
To get the best from this stunning shrub it needs full sun. Crape Myrtle will take all the sun and heat you can give it. A frost pocket free sheltered spot is also important because the cold wind will reduce its flowering. Crape myrtle enjoys relatively fertile well-drained soil including sand and chalk. It does not like consistently wet roots.
Pruning isn’t required and may weaken a shrub that’s struggling to get enough sun. Trim back its tips if necessary and boost it with a thick layer of organic mulch in spring for a healthy flower display.