Black Diamond Red Hot Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia x ‘Red Hot’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Tree

Height at Maturity: 10-12′

Width at Maturity: 6-8′
Spacing: 5′ for solid hedges; 12’+ for space between

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Bushy, Rounded Canopy

Growth Rate: Moderate, Fast

Flower Color: Bright Red
Flowering Period: Summer to Frost

Flower Type: Single flowers in rounded clusters

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Black, Maroon
Fall Foliage Color: Black, Maroon

Fragrant Foliage: No

Bark Color: Light Brown

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun

Water Needs: Average, low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Drainage: Well Drained

Soil pH: 5.0 – 6.5

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Moderate Drought, Heat

Description

When it comes to flowering trees, there’s simply no others more showy than Crape Myrtles. They bloom for up to 100 days during summer, when there are few other trees and shrubs providing that service in the landscape. Colorful fall foliage and attractive exfoliating bark in winter enhance their overall appeal. It’s no wonder they are so wildly popular among designers and gardeners!

Black Diamond Crape Myrtles are a revolutionary new series that provide unique beauty to your landscape. Flawless black foliage emerges in early spring followed by masses of brilliant jewel-toned blooms that last until the first frost. Black Diamonds are perfect for landscapes of all sizes because they have a naturally compact habit, reaching a maximum height of 10 to 12 feet tall and 8 feet or so wide.

Black Diamond Red Hot Crape Myrtle produces abundant clusters of vibrant red flowers that are a stunning contrast to the deep black leaves all summer and all the way to frost! The leaves maintain black color throughout the season until Fall when they drop for the winter.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing to 10 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet or so wide, the Black Diamond Red Hot Crape Myrtle is an ideal selection for all size landscape spaces and in large containers. It can be grown as a shrub or lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive small tree, making it an excellent choice for use as a specimen or accent in sunny home foundation plantings or landscape borders. Also makes a very colorful hedge and is spectacular in groupings. Whether planted as a specimen or in groupings, this is one plant that is sure to stand out in the landscape! A fine addition to red or black theme gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 5 feet apart for a solid hedge; 12 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Crape Myrtle is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

The Black Diamond Red Hot Crape Myrtle is very easy to grow. It is not picky about soil type provided the soil is well-drained. A moist but well-drained soil of average fertility is preferred. Full sun is preferred and results in heavier flower production. Light shade is tolerated but flowering will be diminished in more shade. Has shown excellent resistance to powdery mildew and is quite drought tolerant when established.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Crape Myrtle trees.

How To Plant A Crape Myrtle In The Ground Or In A Pot
How To Prune a Crape Myrtle Tree the Right Way

How To Fertilize & Water A Crape Myrtle
How To Prune a Dwarf Crape Myrtle
Choosing the Right Crape Myrtle

Plant Long & Prosper!

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Plant arrived quickly and very healthy. Can’t wait to see the beautiful blooms.——————————————Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The one gallon plant of the 4 ordered plants arrived yesterday evening, a day before the expected date of delivery. The condition of the plant far exceeds all my expectations in every respect, since this is my very first experience with purchasing plants online. The plant was in perfect shape, and the soil was moist to the touch, and now lo anxiously await the other 3 plants arrival today. I was surprised as to how big the plant was, and i could not be more pleased with the way it was packaged. Thank you Wilson Bros Gardens, and thank you to Sunny for your very helpful comments in answering all my questions over the phone! I look forward to making more purchases with Wilson Bros Gardens.———————————————————We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Item was well packaged showing no stress at all. Surprising since we’ve been having a run of 100 degree days. Every experience with Wilson brrothers has been very pleasant. Highly recommened.——————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG