Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia 'Choctaw')
Lagerstroemia 'Choctaw' Crape myrtle offers bright pink summer blooms, good mildew resistance, and adapts well to clay soil.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ is a highly valued cultivar of Crape myrtle, celebrated for its showy and reliable summer blooming period, providing essential vibrant color when many other shrubs fade. This hybrid is recognized for its upright, gracefully spreading habit, making it suitable for various landscape roles across warm-temperate regions. Gardeners appreciate this particular Crape myrtle for its attractive features, including dark bark that exfoliates pleasingly with age, and its reliability in flowering.
As a deciduous shrub, the Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ offers year-round interest, transitioning from summer blooms to attractive bronze or maroon fall foliage. While it performs admirably in southern climates as a small tree reaching up to 18 feet, gardeners in cooler regions, like USDA Zone 6, should expect it to behave more like a tough, multi-stemmed shrub, often dying back to the ground in harsh winters but reliably resprouting.
This specific Crape myrtle cultivar was developed by the National Arboretum and carries the benefit of improved mildew resistance, a common issue with older varieties. Proper siting in full sun and careful moisture management are key to maximizing the summer display of bright pink flowers on this versatile Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Lythraceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 6-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 3-18 ft
- Spread: 3-20 ft
- Bloom Time: July to September
- Bloom Description: Pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
The best success for Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ starts with optimal planting conditions: ensure it receives full sun for the best flowering performance. It thrives in average, medium-moisture soil but is notably adaptable, performing well even in clay soils, provided there is good drainage. When planting, water the roots deeply, especially during dry spells, but take care not to saturate the foliage, which can encourage disease.
Ongoing care involves moderation. This plant benefits from a slow-release fertilizer applied judiciously, as overly fertile soils frequently result in excessive leafy growth at the expense of the desired summer blooms. In established plantings, focus on deep watering during droughts rather than frequent, shallow sprinkling. The dark bark of the Crape myrtle is a feature; avoid harsh pruning that removes this texture unless necessary for reshaping.
For cooler zones experiencing hard frosts (below -5°F), regional care adjustments are necessary. In areas like Zone 5/6, gardeners might need to treat Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ similarly to butterfly bushes—cutting stems back hard (to 8 inches) in early spring to encourage new flowering wood, as top growth may winter-kill. In all zones, planting in a protected location and applying a winter mulch can help shield the roots and crown during extreme cold snaps.
Landscape Uses
The adaptability of the Crape myrtle makes Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ a staple in diverse landscape designs. In the South, where winter survival of top growth is guaranteed, it excels as a specimen, trained into a small, single-trunk tree, or massed to form a significant informal hedge or tall screen. Its height range allows it to anchor medium-sized shrub borders effectively.
In mixed perennial or shrub borders, use its bright pink flowers to provide mid to late-season impact against contrasting foliage; dark green leaves transitioning to maroon in autumn offer excellent seasonal variation. Newer plantings in medium borders benefit from its spreading, multi-stemmed habit. When selecting companions, look for plants that thrive in full sun and require medium water, ensuring competitive root systems are managed.
Even in cooler zones where it grows shorter, Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ functions beautifully as a striking, low-maintenance vertical accent plant in mass plantings, drawing the eye with its summer color display. Ensure lower branches are allowed some room to arch naturally to showcase the exfoliating bark that develops over time.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Lagerstroemia is a genus providing showy bloom from summer into fall, and ‘Choctaw’ is specifically recognized as a mildew-resistant hybrid developed at the National Arboretum. This multi-stemmed shrub presents dark green leaves that turn bronze or maroon in autumn, accented by terminal panicles of bright pink, crepe-papery flowers spanning up to 17 inches long. In the South, this Crape myrtle can mature into a substantial woody shrub or small tree, while in borderline climates, careful winter management dictates its ultimate structure.
Tolerances
- Drought
- Clay Soil
- Air Pollution
Potential Problems
The two primary health concerns for Crape myrtles generally involve fungal issues: powdery mildew and fungal leaf spot, although ‘Choctaw’ is noted for its improved resistance to mildew. To prevent fungal growth, always ensure excellent air circulation; avoid wetting foliage during irrigation and prune for openness if needed. Foliage may suffer chlorosis (yellowing) if planted in overly alkaline soils, requiring pH amendments or chelated iron treatments. Be vigilant for pests like aphids and scale, treating infestations promptly with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. The most significant threat in marginal areas (Zones 5-6) remains winter injury to the branches, necessitating the protective pruning or siting adjustments discussed previously.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Crape myrtle suitable for?
Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ is reliably cold-hardy in USDA Zones 6 through 9. Growers in Zone 5 should anticipate significant winter dieback, often requiring aggressive pruning in the spring.
How large does Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ grow?
This versatile shrub or small tree typically reaches a mature height between 3 and 18 feet, with a spread ranging from 3 to 20 feet, depending heavily on regional climate and pruning methods employed.
What sun exposure does Crape myrtle need?
For optimal flowering performance and overall health, this Crape myrtle requires full sun exposure throughout the day. Reduced light will significantly decrease bloom quantity.
When does Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ bloom?
This variety provides reliable color from July through September, showcasing masses of bright pink flowers during the peak heat of summer.
Conclusion
Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ remains a premier choice for summer color thanks to its showy pink panicles and improved mildew resistance, offering structure and exfoliating bark interest year-round. Whether you aim for a small, self-supporting tree in the South or a reliably flowering shrub in cooler areas, this Crape myrtle variety delivers exceptional value. Before planting, always confirm your specific USDA Hardiness Zone and plan your winter protection strategy accordingly.
Companion Planting
Selecting companions that share the full sun and medium water needs of Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’ will simplify garden maintenance significantly. Consider pairing it with perennials like Coneflower (Echinacea) or Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), which bloom concurrently in the heat of summer and provide lower texture beneath the shrub’s arching branches. For year-round structure near your Crape myrtle border, evergreen shrubs that thrive in clay soil, such as certain varieties of Holly (Ilex), can offer a solid backdrop.
Seasonal Care Calendar
Spring is the critical clean-up time for your Lagerstroemia ‘Choctaw’. In marginal zones (6 and below), this is the moment to prune away any dead wood or cut stems back severely (to 8 inches) to encourage fresh basal growth that will flower later that summer. In milder zones, prune only for shape, removing crossing branches or thinning the center for better air flow. Summer demands consistent, deep watering during dry spells, focusing the moisture at the root zone rather than wetting the canopy. As summer transitions to fall, the foliage of this Crape myrtle will put on its bronze and maroon display, signaling that fertilization decisions should cease until early spring to avoid promoting tender growth susceptible to early frosts.
