‘Biloxi’, ‘Miami’, and ‘Wichita’ Lagerstroemia

Abstract

Abstract ‘Biloxi’, ‘Miami’, and ‘Wichita’ are the first introduced tree growth habit Lager-stroemia indica L. × L. fauriei Koehne cultivars that combine mildew resistance, dark trunk bark coloration, and a range of flower colors. Lagerstroemia, commonly referred to as crape-myrtle, is the primary southern summer-flowering small tree, traditionally associated with the colonial era as was the lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) in the northern frontiers. Crape-myrtle no longer is just a summer-flowering tree, but is a year-round landscape plant with magnificent trunk bark coloration. ‘Natchez’ and ‘Muskogee’ (4), the first U.S. National Arboretum L. indica × L. fauriei hybrids, have become leading nursery production and landscape plants as much for spectacular trunk bark coloration as the flowers. On the other hand, ‘Tuscarora’ (5) and ‘Tuskegee’ (6), both of similar parentage, lack intense bark coloration but are noteworthy cultivars because of the unique coral to dark pink flowers. More recently, the growth habit diversity was extended by the release of ‘Acoma’, ‘Hopi’, ‘Pecos’, and ‘Zuni’ with semi-dwarf growth habits (7). ‘Biloxi’, ‘Miami’, and ‘Wichita’ bring to 17 the U.S. National Arboretum Lagerstroemia cultivar introductions (2, 3).