In honor of Earth Day this year, I wanted to plant a tree in my yard. On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, I planted two crape myrtles. I didn't know exactly what variety of crape myrtle I would find, but knew it was a crape myrtle I wanted to plant. I first stopped by Home Depot and found several crape myrtles, but they were literally huge! Probably 8ft. or more in height and the size of the pot was too much for me to handle. I then drove to Lowes and was pleasantly surprised to find a lot more trees from which to select. I pulled out 3 different crape myrtles and found 2 which looked similar in size and shape ... ah, Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle!!
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle - Southern Living Plant Collection |
Checking the label, I was confident in my purchase that I would be happy with this type of crape myrtle. The flowering blooms were an interesting pinkish-purple which would be perfect to blend with my other flowering plants. Needing full sun, I knew that would also be perfect for the placement in my open back yard. I probably could have taken 3 of these, but I thought 2 will create more of a focus.
Reading the back of the label, it says this is a new crape myrtle that was "selected for elite purple flower color and an upright tight growth habit." As I have purple Mexican Petunias across the front of my front yard garden, another purple color in the back yard will bring it all together on flower color design!
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle - Southern Living Plant Collection |
The first Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle went into the ground on the northwest side of my back yard. I brought it in almost 5 feet from a line to the northwest edge of my house. I also placed it abut 5 feet back from the edging. I've not yet added mulch to the top, but may do that soon.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle - Southern Living Plant Collection |
The second Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle went into the ground on the northeast side of my back yard. I brought it in almost 5 feet from a line to the northeast edge of my house. I also placed it abut 5 feet back from the edging. I had debated whether I wanted to place a crape myrtle more to the northeast edge of my back yard, lined up with my shed, but thought better not to since that area's grass has been dying out from the extra drainage of two other neighbors' yards into mine. I did move the circular portion of grass I dug up for the first crape myrtle to that dead area thinking maybe it will root there.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle - Southern Living Plant Collection |
I was curious to know more about the history of Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle. Googling, I quickly found an interesting research reference by the
American Society for Horticultural Science, authored by Cecil T. Pounders and Hamidou F. Sakhanokho. Miss Sandra was created along with Miss Gail and Miss Frances and released in 2015. If I can find the other two new varieties, I might plant them in my backyard along with Miss Sandra.
A friend of mine on the west coast mentioned how impressive the
Southern Living Plant Collection is for their plants and trees. I don't know that I've ever planted one of their collection, but am highly expectant of having two beautifully colored crape myrtles prospering in my back yard! Stay tuned!
37 DAY FOLLOW UP
It has been extremely hot and dry here in Leesburg, Florida for over a week. My grass in the back yard has pretty much dried up and gone crisp. I'm watering the two Miss Sandra Crape Myrtles daily and sometimes a second time in the evening. It was around 9am today, May 30, 2019, when I had pulled my hose from the front to the back yard to water the crape myrtles and my other back yard flowering plants. That's when I noticed some flowers at the top of the crape myrtle in the West side of the back yard.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle Fuchsia Blossom |
I sent my sister in Ohio the three photos of the Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle blossom to get her input on the color. She remarked back that she'd call the little flowers in the blossom an intense deep fuchsia pink. I would agreed with that. I then asked her what color would she say the berries are. We agreed on a merlot wine color.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle Fuchsia Blossom |
I believe the berries must have emerged the day before and overnight the flowers emerged. As I had been watering these crape myrtles daily, I can't see how I would have missed the pretty flowers. That's why I was so surprised this morning to see them.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle Fuchsia Blossom |
I am pleasantly surprised to see blossoms so soon after planting the crape myrtles. I did use a good bit of Miracle-Gro potting mix and one application of the blue crystals of Miracle-Gro plant food. To see flowers in maybe 5 weeks time is pretty amazing. I've looked over the second crape myrtle, but do not see any indication of berries yet.
THREE MONTHS IN THE GROUND
The two Miss Sandra Crape Myrtles have been doing pretty well in the ground over the past 3 months. We had a spell of drought that really crisped up the grass in the back yard. Luckily, the crape myrtles survived that drought and have been enjoying lots of rain over the past few weeks.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle with Fuchsia Blossoms at 3 months |
About two weeks ago, I did a Miracle-Gro feeding of the two. I believe that has helped to encourage more of the fuchsia blossoms.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle with Fuchsia Blossoms at 3 months |
The two Miss Sandra Crape Myrtles are still such petite-like trees. With all the pretty fuchsia blossoms, the trees are about as pretty as they can get! I'm hoping the stems and limbs "thicken" up to become more sturdy. I don't want hurricane-force winds to snap those petite stems!
BEAUTIFUL FUCHSIA BLOSSOMS
As I walked my front yard and back yard gardens this morning, July 27, 2019, I was so impressed with the beautiful fuchsia-colored blossoms. I know Miss Sandra Crape Myrtles were bred for their elite purple color, but I don't think this is a purple color per se. It's more hot pink or fuchsia and possibly with a little raspberry thrown in for good measure.
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| Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle - Fuchsia Blossoms |
Check out those pretty blossoms at 3 months in the ground!! I think that photo is suitable for a product label or seed packet. So pretty!
4 comments:
Hi Julie Ann! Thanks for posting about your experience with your "Miss Sandra" Crape Myrtle trees. Very helpful! I bought one at Lowe's last week. No blooms on it, but I was surprised to see that the tag pic is so very different from the actual pictures of your trees. Looks like I'm to expect magenta/fushia rather than light purple as pictured on the plant tag. Yes?
Hi there ... thanks for dropping by and leaving your comment. You say you also purchased your Miss Sandra at Lowe's? I'm guessing it is also from the Southern Living Plant Collection. I also was questioning the "elite purple" color as I don't see purple per se, but more of a magenta fuchsia as you suggest. Looking at my last photo in the blog post, I do see a bit of purple on the lower left. It makes me wonder if certain fertilizers might influence the colors. I'll be watching the two trees for the next big bloom and be sure to share the photos to check the color!
I got miss frances today it is lipstick red beautiful
I am glad you got a Miss Frances crape myrtle ... lipstick red sounds lovely! If I see that variety, I think I will have to try one ... please let me know how she grows and blooms!
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