Plant: Sioux - Crape Myrtle

Plant description

Sioux is an award winning hybrid crape myrtle introduced in 1987 by the U.S. National Arboretum for its mildew resistance, growing 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide with an erect, multi stemmed, oval form. Branched panicles 7 to 9 inches long carry 70 to 150 dark pink crinkled florets from late July to mid September, the glossy green leaves turn red in fall, and the light gray bark peels to a smooth surface for winter interest. Give it full sun and moist, well drained acidic soil; it is drought tolerant once established. Watch for aphids, scales and leaf spots.

Flowers

Branched panicles 7 to 9 inches long carrying 70 to 150 dark pink, crinkled florets from late July to mid September.

Foliage

Simple leaves emerge green with red tinges and become dark green by summer, smooth and leathery with entire margins, oblong to elliptic to obovate, 1 to 3 inches long, on very short petioles.

Fruit

Six valved dehiscent capsules, brown and about half an inch wide, persisting through winter; the disc shaped seeds are 3/8 inch across and winged.

Bark & stems

Thin, smooth, pale brown to gray bark that peels and exfoliates; stems are green to brown, slender and often squarish with prominent wings.

Native range

Central Himalaya to S. China and Indo-China, Philippines, Japan

Plant details