Description
Lagerstroemia indica Center Stage Coral is a crape myrtle bred for earlier blooms, intense dark foliage, rapid growth, exfoliating bark, and resistance to mildew. The spectacular dark burgundy-black leaves serve as the perfect foil for the highly ruffled, coral pink flowers centred with bright yellow stamens on shrubs 6-12 feet tall with a narrow habit good for smaller gardens. Free-flowering all summer long into fall on new wood. Prefers well-drained soil and hot, sunny positions to encourage flowering, especially in cool summer climates like the West Coast. Use in the border as a specimen or focal point, in containers, or in a mass planting as an informal hedge or screen. Bee attractor. Deer and rabbit resistant. Hardy to zone 6b. Cultivar name ‘Smnlij’.
