Grande Red™ Crepe Myrtle

Grande Red Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia 'Grande Red') is one of the larger growing crepe myrtles, reaching about 6m tall and 4m wide as a genuine small tree rather than a shrub. Through summer it carries heavy trusses of deep red, crepe textured flowers, then the foliage colours in autumn and drops to show smooth, mottled bark.

Why you'll love it

• Deep red summer flowers. Big trusses that read from the street, carried through the hottest weeks when little else performs.
• A proper small tree. The Grande range grows larger than common garden crepe myrtles, so you get height and shade without outgrowing a suburban block.
• Non-invasive roots. Safe near driveways, paths and garden walls, exactly where a tree this size wants to go.
• Very little upkeep. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established and untroubled by poor soil, with one light prune a year at most.

Where it works best

Feature planting. A single tree in a front lawn or beside an entry gives a long summer display, then sculptural bare branches.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 4m to 5m apart for a matched row; the flowers and bark do the work at eye level.

Small gardens and shade. At about 6m by 4m it shades a deck or lawn and still sits comfortably a few metres from the house.

Growing Grande Red Crepe Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings the heaviest flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and semi-arid gardens, shrugging off frost once established as well as dry summer heat. The wet tropics are the exception, where flowering is less reliable.

Soil. Unfussy. Any free draining soil works, even poor sandy or gravelly ground; compost through the planting hole speeds establishment.

Water and feed. Deep soak once or twice a week for the first summer; after that established trees get by on rainfall in most districts. Complete fertiliser in early spring supports flowering.

Pruning. Prune lightly in winter if at all, removing crossed stems and tidying the outline. Resist hard annual lopping.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Grande Red as tube stock and as an advanced 45L tree. Tubes establish quickly and suit a patient gardener; the line is often grown to order, so allow extra lead time if it shows as backorder. The 45L arrives with height and a formed trunk.

Crepe myrtles are deciduous, so a winter delivery arrives bare of leaf, which travels and plants well. Stock is delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Crepe myrtle care guide
• Browse the full crepe myrtle range
• Natchez, a white flowering crepe myrtle on a similar scale
• More feature trees for Australian gardens

Common questions

Does it lose its leaves in winter?

Yes. The foliage colours in autumn and drops, leaving the mottled bark on display until new leaves arrive in mid spring.

How is Grande Red different from other crepe myrtles?

Scale. Grande Red is selected for larger growth, making a small tree of about 6m rather than a large shrub.

Will the roots lift my driveway?

Crepe myrtle roots are fine and non-invasive, so this is one of the safer trees beside driveways, paths and pools. Give the trunk a metre of clearance so the base can thicken.

Should I prune it hard every winter?

No. Hard lopping produces a knuckled, weak framework and spoils the bark. Flowers form on new season growth regardless, so a light tidy after leaf drop is all it needs.