The ‘Lavender Lace’ Crape Myrtle is a popular ornamental plant, cherished for its extended blooming season and attractive appearance. It offers a captivating display, making it a favored choice for many landscapes. Its vibrant flowers and distinctive bark provide visual interest throughout various seasons. Gardeners often select this plant for its ability to enhance curb appeal with relatively low maintenance.
Distinguishing Features of ‘Lavender Lace’
The ‘Lavender Lace’ Crape Myrtle stands out with unique aesthetic characteristics, offering a striking contrast in the garden. This variety features pastel lavender-purple blooms that appear from early summer through fall, providing months of continuous color. These delicate flowers are set against deep, burgundy-black foliage that emerges in early spring and maintains its dark hue throughout the growing season.
This crape myrtle grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, reaching a mature height of 10 to 12 feet and a width of 8 feet. Its compact, upright growth habit makes it suitable for various landscape applications, from container gardens to blooming hedges. The characteristic exfoliating bark adds texture and visual interest, particularly in cooler months.
Planting and Ideal Growing Conditions
Selecting the right location for your ‘Lavender Lace’ Crape Myrtle is important for its successful establishment and vibrant growth. These plants require at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce abundant blooms and maintain their rich foliage color. Planting in a shaded area can result in less vigorous flowering and greener foliage.
‘Lavender Lace’ Crape Myrtles adapt to a wide range of soils but thrive best in well-drained conditions with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (5.0-6.5). For heavy clay, amend with organic matter like compost to improve drainage. When planting, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. Backfill and water thoroughly to settle the soil. Mulch around the base, keeping it a few inches from the trunk, to conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Proper watering is important for ‘Lavender Lace’ Crape Myrtles, especially during their establishment period. Young trees require frequent deep watering for the first three months after planting. Once established, they are drought-tolerant but benefit from occasional deep watering during prolonged dry spells; check the top 3 inches of soil for dryness. Overwatering should be avoided.
Apply a light, complete, balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring and summer to support healthy growth and abundant blooms. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth at the expense of flowering.
Prune in late winter or early spring when the plant is dormant. Pruning shapes the tree, promotes new growth, and removes dead, damaged, or crossing branches. For a graceful shape, remove all but 4 to 5 strong trunks and clear lateral branches from the lower half. Avoiding “crape murder” (severe topping) is important, as it can lead to weak, unnatural growth.
Addressing Common Issues
While generally hardy, ‘Lavender Lace’ Crape Myrtles can encounter common pests and diseases. Crape myrtle aphids are pale yellowish-green insects that feed on plant sap, causing leaf distortion and honeydew. Honeydew often results in sooty mold, a black fungus covering leaves and branches. Blasting aphids off with water or using insecticidal soaps can manage infestations.
Japanese beetles, identified by their coppery-brown body and metallic green head, feed on leaves and flowers, causing significant damage. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease appearing as white to grayish patches on leaves, flowers, and new shoots, especially in damp, shady conditions with poor air circulation. It can stunt growth and distort plant parts. Ensuring good air circulation through proper spacing and pruning helps prevent this issue.
Cercospora leaf spot, another fungal disease, causes small brown spots on lower leaves, often leading to premature leaf drop. This disease thrives where foliage remains wet. Maintaining good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering can help prevent fungal diseases.