The ‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Ebony Glow’) is a popular ornamental plant known for its distinctive appearance. This cultivar offers unique visual appeal and striking features, enhancing garden aesthetics with season-long interest.
What Makes Ebony Glow Unique
The ‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtle stands out with exceptionally dark, almost black, deciduous foliage that emerges burgundy in spring. This deep leaf color provides a dramatic backdrop for its vibrant blooms. Flowers are soft pink to blush pink, appearing in large clusters from mid-summer through fall. This contrast creates a visually impactful display.
This cultivar grows as a compact, mid-sized shrub or small tree, reaching a mature height of 10 to 12 feet and a width of 6 to 8 feet. Its upright, spreading growth habit makes it suitable for various landscape applications, including specimen planting, privacy screens, or as a colorful border. ‘Ebony Glow’ is also resistant to common crape myrtle diseases such as powdery mildew and leaf spot.
Planting and Care Requirements
To ensure the ‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtle thrives, select a location receiving full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. Adequate sunlight promotes abundant flowering; too much shade reduces bloom production. The plant adapts to various soil types but prefers well-draining soil with a slightly acidic pH, ideally between 5.5 and 6.5.
When planting, dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball, but no deeper than the container. The top of the root ball should be level with the surrounding soil. After placing the plant, backfill the hole with native soil, firming gently to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly to help settle the soil, and create a shallow water basin around the base to direct water to the roots.
Newly planted ‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtles require consistent moisture to establish a strong root system, often needing deep watering several times a week for the first growing season. Once established, the plant becomes more drought-tolerant, but still benefits from occasional deep watering during dry spells. Fertilization can be applied lightly in early spring before new growth emerges, using a balanced fertilizer or compost. However, established plants in fertile soil may not require additional fertilization, as over-fertilizing can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers.
Pruning Your Ebony Glow
Pruning the ‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtle helps maintain its shape, encourages robust flowering, and promotes overall plant health. The optimal time for pruning is late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins, from mid-February to mid-March. Pruning during this dormant period allows for a clear view of the branch structure and minimizes plant stress.
Pruning goals include removing dead, diseased, or crossing branches to improve air circulation and prevent rubbing. Thin out weak or inward-growing shoots to open the canopy. When making cuts, always prune back to another branch, just above an outward-facing bud, or to the branch collar.
Avoid “crape murder,” which involves severely topping the plant by cutting main branches back to thick stubs. This harsh pruning leads to weak, spindly new growth that struggles to support blooms and detracts from the plant’s natural form. For multi-trunked crape myrtles, select three to five strong, well-spaced trunks and remove suckers from the base to create an attractive, tree-like structure.
Addressing Common Issues
‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtles can encounter common issues, including pests and diseases. Powdery mildew, a fungal disease, appears as white or grayish powdery patches on leaves, flowers, and new shoots, especially in humid or shady conditions with poor air circulation. Ensuring good air circulation through proper spacing and selective pruning helps prevent this.
Aphids are small, yellowish-green insects that feed on plant sap, often found on the undersides of leaves. Their feeding can distort leaves and excrete honeydew, which leads to black sooty mold. A strong stream of water can dislodge aphids, and horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps can manage larger infestations. Crape myrtle bark scale, another sap-sucking insect, appears as white or gray clusters on branches and trunks, also leading to honeydew and sooty mold. Regular inspection allows for early detection and intervention to keep your ‘Ebony Glow’ Crape Myrtle healthy.