Tonto Crape Myrtle

The Tonto Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tonto', is known to be the best cold hardy, red crape myrtle variety available!

This offering from the National Arboretum is a vigorous grower to its mature height. The Tonto Crape Myrtle is valued mainly for its long period of striking summer flowers. Large clusters of red flowers appear on the tips of new branches beginning in early summer and continue into fall. In autumn, the leaves transition to a brilliant shades of orange and red.

The fine, tan, exfoliating bark is exposed during the winter months, giving wonderful winter interest to your landscape. The Tonto Crape Myrtle is ideally suited for formal or informal design in the home landscape, street plantings and community plantings.

It can be planted as a specimen or in groups, and looks attractive when underplanted with a ground cover. Tonto Crape Myrtles are easy to grow and if they are used for hedges, plant them 4 to 5 feet apart.