Tuscarora Crepe Myrtle

Tuscarora Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tuscarora') flowers through the hottest weeks of summer, when most of the garden has given up. It reaches about 6m tall and 4m wide, carries coral pink flower heads from midsummer into autumn, then colours orange to red before the leaves drop. Underneath sits smooth cinnamon bark that peels in strips, so even the bare winter frame earns its place.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers when little else does. Coral pink panicles through the hottest months, holding for weeks rather than days.
• Three seasons from one tree. Summer flower, orange to red autumn colour, then cinnamon bark on a clean winter frame.
• Bred to resist mildew. One of the indica x fauriei hybrids developed to shrug off the powdery mildew that spoiled older crepe myrtles.
• Roots that behave. Non-invasive roots make it a sensible choice near a driveway, a path or a courtyard wall.
• Tough, and safe around pets. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant once established and content in poor soil. Not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Feature tree on a normal block. At roughly 6m by 4m it gives a proper canopy without swallowing the yard.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 3m apart for a repeating rhythm of trunk and flower. The canopies meet overhead in time while each tree keeps its own shape.

Shade you can switch off. Being deciduous, it shades a patio or a west facing wall through summer and hands the winter sun back, which matters in cool temperate gardens.

Growing Tuscarora Crepe Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. Shade will not kill it but it halves the flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi-arid gardens, so it performs in Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and inland districts alike. It is not one for the wet tropics.

Soil. Undemanding about fertility, firm about drainage. It copes with poor and rocky ground but not with a spot that stays wet after rain. On heavy clay, plant high on a raised mound.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers. Established trees then get by on rainfall with a soak in a long dry spell. One application of a complete fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. Prune in late winter while the tree is bare and the structure is visible. Remove crossing wood, thin the centre and lift the lower branches to show the bark. Avoid cutting every limb back to the same point each year, which produces knuckled stubs and floppy growth.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown from 200mm and 300mm pots up through 400mm and 500mm, then 30L, 45L, 75L, 100L, 200L and 400L. The smaller pots are young whips that need two or three seasons to build a canopy but establish quickly and cost far less. From 45L up they arrive branched, with real trunk and height on day one.

Because this tree is deciduous, orders sent through the cooler months arrive bare or nearly bare of leaves. That is normal, not a fault. Buds break in spring and the first flowers usually follow in the second summer. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full crepe myrtle range
• Browse flowering trees for Australian gardens
• How to prepare a garden bed before planting

Common questions

When does it flower, and for how long?

From midsummer into early autumn. Individual heads last a couple of weeks and the tree keeps producing new ones, so a good season runs six to eight weeks.

How far apart along a driveway?

Three metres. Closer than that and the trunks crowd each other, which spoils the main reason to grow this tree.

Does it really handle frost?

Yes. Established trees are frost hardy and cope with cold inland winters, which is why crepe myrtles are planted so widely through southern Australia. Mulch the root zone in the first winter.