Crape myrtle ‘Sarah’s Favorite’ and ‘Natchez’
* Common name: Crape myrtle ‘Sarah’s Favorite’ and ‘Natchez’
‘Sarah’s Favorite’ in bloom, left, and bark of ‘Natchez,’ right.
* Botanical name: Lagerstroemia ‘Sarah’s Favorite’ and ‘Natchez’
* What they are: These are two of the cold-toughest, white-blooming crape myrtles, which are generally regarded as small southern trees but that are becoming increasingly doable in central Pennsylvania. Bark is peeling and cinnamon-colored, and white flowers open from late June through September. Fall foliage of ‘Sarah’s Favorite’ is orange-red, while fall foliage of ‘Natchez’ is bronzy-gold. Both are resistant to powdery mildew, a common leaf disease of crape myrtles.
* Size: ‘Sarah’s Favorite’ grows about 18 to 20 feet tall by 12 feet wide in 20 years. ‘Natchez’ is slightly bigger and can ultimately grow to 25 or 30 feet tall. Both can be kept smaller with annual pruning.
* Where to use: These make good upright specimens at a sunny house corner out front. They’re also good front-yard trees and nice for lining a long, sunny driveway. Best grown in full sun and well drained soil.
* Care: Virtually none, other than the annual size-control pruning, if needed. Pruning is best done as new growth sprouts in spring. If an unusually cold winter kills top growth, prune it back to live wood, including the whole way to the ground if necessary. New shoots should arise from the ground. A spring scattering of a balanced granular fertilizer is optional. Crape myrtles are very drought-tough once established.
* Great partner: Dwarf butterfly bush Pugster Blue or caryopteris (blue mist shrub) make good underplanted summer-flowering shrubs. Spreading juniper ‘Blue Pacific’ is a good evergreen underplanting. Liriope or sedum SunSparkler ‘Dazzleberry’ are good groundcover partners.