Lagerstroemia indica winter hardiness

[leatherback]

Hi All,

I was wondering.. I have seen a reasonable crappy myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). I see lots of indications that this species is not frost-hardi. Yet I would have sworn I have seen them in gardens in Washington, whcih gets decent frost.

Anybody any experience? What can they stand in a pot?

J.

 

[Lutonian]

RHS says there hardy to -5c and can be planted in mild costal areas of u.k

 

[bwaynef]

I've got them in the landscape, but only one in a pot. I don't do anything special to protect it. So far this year its seen 23ºF, but in years past we've dipped to 6 and 8ºF. Below 25-ish I move everything to the ground. Most of the time everything stays on the benches though. Never treated the crape special though. (If it was highly refined I'd protect it a bit more as I think the twigs are more susceptible to cold.)

 

[SeanS]

Hi All,

I was wondering.. I have seen a reasonable crappy myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica).

J.

I’d pass

 

[Starfox]

Someone asked not long ago.
I found this link...

These Crape Myrtles are Cold Hardy Through Zone 5!

These Crape Myrtles are Cold Hardy Through Zone 5!

www.crapemyrtle.com

 

[leatherback]

I found this link...

Ah yeah, I think I saw that. So if I do not know the variety it is just a gamble then.

Unless all of them are somewhat hardy, and some are more somewhat hardy than others..

 

[JefeW]

They thrive in blazing, humid heat. I love them, but I’ve had a landscape tree, 20 feet tall die back to the base from one icy night. I was devastated, but I’d cry like a baby if it was an old bonsai with good ramification. I’m not sure Northern Germany is ideal, but if you have a nice greenhouse setup you’d be set.

 

[Paradox]

Hi All,

I was wondering.. I have seen a reasonable crappy myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). I see lots of indications that this species is not frost-hardi. Yet I would have sworn I have seen them in gardens in Washington, whcih gets decent frost.

Anybody any experience? What can they stand in a pot?

J.

I have one that I bought from @JudyB a few years ago. They will be fine in your climate.
Will still need the normal winter protection that you give a maple or other deciduous tree.
Mine has seen frosts and I overwinter it in my cold frame where it can get below freezing.

Lagerstroemia indica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Carol 83]

I have one in the landscape that is always the very last thing to wake up in the spring. My potted one I keep in the garage, just to be safe.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Here’s my Dwarf Myrtle.

In the box.. This is it’s first winter with me...

Upon “stress-testing”.. the branches seem healthy.... but I guess time will tell.

 

[VAFisher]

My experience is that the dwarf variety Pocomoke is more hardy than most but I still give them protection. The tips are definitely subject to die back also. I let mine see 2 or 3 nights below freezing so that they are good and dormant and then they go in my garage on a shelf. I have some in the landscape that die back almost to the ground almost every year here in Central VA zone 7.

 

[Shibui]

All the varieties sold here are hardy to at least -5C.
I have some in pots that thrive outside with no additional winter protection.

 

[leatherback]

Thank you for all the input. I am getting to the point of not risking it. I do not need another little baby tree that screams if weather drops spike down. And fro the responses I gather it could be hot of miss with cold hardiness.

 

[johng]

I find the standard sizes to be reasonably cold hardy. The dwarfs are much less hardy and need good protection. All types are very susceptible to damage by late season frost and freezes.

 

[JonW]

In Pittsburgh, zone 6, they will survive many years with temps reaching down to 0F and commonly in the teens/twenties in the winter, then they will suddenly get struck with severe dieback. I've seen fairly large ones, but not anything as impressive as the ones you see in the South. They make great bonsai once the trunk thickens - they get a rep for thickening slowly, but they aren't too bad in my opinion if you have a non-dwarf variety. I sold 3 last year, one of which was grown from seed, because I'm focusing on shohin/mame plants due to lack of space I have. The full-size CM have bigger leaves than I'm interested in, and I can't find a decent Chickasaw this far North. Of note, I've heard the smaller, shrubbier CM have better frost tolerance (EDIT: I see this is the opposite of what the person above me posted, but I'm pretty sure some of the hybrid shrub CM are more cold hardy).