US National Arboretum


 

Arboretum Plant Photo Gallery

U.S. National Arboretum Crapemyrtle Introductions
Beautiful crapemyrtles with enhanced disease resistance and cold hardiness are some of the most widely appreciated of all the plants that have been developed through the painstaking efforts of Arboretum scientists. Crapemyrtle breeding began at the Arboretum in 1962 and originally centered on a quest for disease resistance within Lagerstroemia indica, a species of tree that has graced southern gardens for more than a century. The acquisition of Lagerstroemia fauriei in the 1950s led to an exciting infusion of new germplasm that imparted improved hardiness, disease resistance, and exciting velvety cinnamon-brown color in the bark of mature plants.

Take a moment to browse these photos of beautiful summer flowers, astounding fall foliage, and the magnificently colored bark of Arboretum crapemyrtle introductions. You can click on any thumbnail image to see an enlarged image. We hope you enjoy them, and if you’d like to see them in person, plan a trip to the Arboretum and check our "What's Blooming" and "Hort Hot Spots" pages for the best dates and locations. Crapemyrtles are generally at their peak of bloom in August and September, and the leaves of many put on a dazzling display of fall color in late October and early November. The bark is beautiful at any time of year. You can find our crapemyrtles interspersed with conifers in the Gotelli Collection and many can be seen in the gardens surrounding the Administration Building and Visitor Center.

Click here to review the Lagerstroemia Crapemyrtle Checklist.

Click here to see our new full-color poster devoted solely to our well-known crapemyrtle introductions.

Animated image from our Crapemyrtle Photo Gallery

Links to:

Quick guide chart of our 29 released crapemyrtles -
includes descriptions of flower color, plant size, bark color and growth habit
and links to individual varieties

Images and Descriptions of Individual Varieties:
'Acoma' || 'Apalachee' || 'Biloxi' || 'Caddo' || 'Catawba' || 'Cherokee'
'Chickasaw' || 'Choctaw' || 'Comanche' || 'Conestoga' || 'Hopi' || 'Kiowa'
'Lipan' || 'Miami' || 'Muskogee' || 'Natchez' || 'Osage' || 'Pecos'
'Pocomoke' || 'Potomac' || 'Powhatan' || 'Seminole' || 'Sioux' || 'Tonto'
'Tuscarora' || 'Tuskegee' || 'Wichita' || 'Yuma' || 'Zuni'

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Last Updated   August 12, 2008 4:44 PM
URL = http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/CrapemyrtleGallery/

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