Arapaho Crepe Myrtle – Hardy, Disease-Resistant Red Flowering Tree
Adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions, Arapahoe Crepe Myrtle thrives in full sun and performs well in both urban and home garden environments. Whether planted individually or as part of a landscape design, it offers structure, color, and long-term performance.
At Zoned Garden, we carefully curate our Crepe Myrtle selections to ensure quality, resilience, and beauty. The Arapahoe Crepe Myrtle is an excellent addition to residential gardens and designed landscapes where elegance and durability matter.
Description
The Arapahoe Crepe Myrtle is a premium flowering tree valued for its exceptional disease resistance, upright growth habit, and long-lasting summer blooms. As part of the Crepe Myrtle collection, this variety is well-suited for residential landscapes, streetscapes, and garden focal points.
Arapahoe Crepe Myrtle produces rich red flowers that appear in mid to late summer, providing consistent seasonal color when many other trees have finished blooming. Its strong resistance to powdery mildew and leaf spot makes it a reliable, low-maintenance option for gardeners seeking durability and visual appeal.
This Crepe Myrtle variety matures into a medium to large tree with smooth, exfoliating bark that adds year-round interest. In autumn, the foliage transitions into warm shades of orange and red, extending its ornamental value beyond the flowering season.
FAQs:
What is special about the Arapaho Crepe Myrtle?
The Arapaho Crepe Myrtle is a historic U.S. National Arboretum hybrid — the first crape myrtle ever bred from three different species. What makes it truly special is the rare combination of vivid true-red flowers and exceptional disease resistance. It delivers outstanding powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot resistance while producing brilliant red blooms, stunning fall foliage in orange-red and purple tones, and beautiful exfoliating multi-toned bark — making it a genuine four-season landscape tree.
How tall does the Arapaho Crepe Myrtle grow?
A: Arapaho typically grows 15–22 feet tall with a spread of 10–15 feet wide. It has an upright, rounded canopy and grows at a fast rate — adding approximately 3 feet of new growth per year under good conditions. This makes it an ideal medium to large specimen tree for residential landscapes, driveways, and street plantings.
Q3: Is Arapaho Crepe Myrtle resistant to powdery mildew?
Yes — Arapaho Crepe Myrtle has outstanding resistance to powdery mildew, which is the most common and damaging disease affecting crape myrtles. In fact, developing mildew resistance was the primary goal when the U.S. National Arboretum created the Arapaho hybrid in the 1980s. It also resists Cercospora leaf spot, another common fungal issue, keeping the foliage clean and healthy throughout the entire growing season.