First Editions® Plum Magic™ crape myrtles give you all the best qualities of a crape myrtle with enhanced disease resistance and cold heartiness. These compact crape myrtles are a very fast growing tree that fills with gorgeous clusters of pink/purple blooms from July to September, and both beautiful, hearty, and very drought resistant once established. The blooms of a crape myrtle are a magnificent display that attract flocks of hummingbirds and butterflies through the summer months. These plum crape myrtles produce 6” to 12” clusters of pink/purple flowers that can last for many weeks or even months. The leaves of crape myrtles are a unique glossy red/green and the growth rate of a crape myrtle is incredible, these trees can create shoots of new growth of more than a foot in just a few short weeks. As they grow, crape myrtles can be trained into a clump of trees or keep a shrub like form. This characteristic makes them perfect for a number situations, such as the center piece of a garden or yard, a backdrop in front of a fence, lining a drive, or planting on the corner of a house. The one downside of these trees is that they have a weakness to prolonged cold, and this should be taken into account when purchasing and planting them. For example, here in southern Indiana (zone 6a) they grow beautifully, but do best in an area sheltered from cold winter winds. In Louisville, KY, which consistently remains 5-6 degrees warmer, due to the heat island effect, they overwinter without a problem.
