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Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2006 Publication Date: 6/26/2006 Citation: Pooler, M.R. 2006. 'Arapaho' and 'Cheyenne' Lagerstroemia. HortScience. 41:855-856. Interpretive Summary: The crapemyrtle has become a mainstay in mild-climate landscapes because of its ease of production and cultivation, long-lasting mid-summer bloom, range of plant habits from miniature potted plant to large tree, striking exfoliating bark on smooth multi-stemmed trunks, outstanding fall foliage coloration, and diversity of landscape uses. Two new Lagerstroemia cultivars were released from the National Arboretum in 2003 that are characterized by bright red inflorescences and mildew-resistant, dark green foliage. ‘Arapaho’is an upright, multi-stemmed tree or shrub with a broad, vase-shaped habit that has grown 23 feet high and 12 feet wide after 16 years of growth in Washington, D.C. The upright tree-type habit of ‘Arapaho’ makes it well suited for use a specimen plant, as a street or highway tree, or in mass plantings in public parks ‘Cheyenne’ is a rounded, multi-stemmed shrub that has grown 10 feet high and wide after 15 years of growth in Washington, D.C. Its rounded compact habit makes it suitable for use as a specimen plant or in mass plantings and also in a shrub border or informal hedge. These cultivars are the first introductions that incorporate the lesser-known species L. limii into U.S.-grown cultivars. Incorporation of this germplasm into these new cultivars broadens the genetic base of cultivated crapemyrtle. Technical Abstract: The crapemyrtle has become a mainstay in mild-climate landscapes because of its ease of production and cultivation, long-lasting mid-summer bloom, range of plant habits from miniature potted plant to large tree, striking exfoliating bark on smooth multi-stemmed trunks, outstanding fall foliage coloration, and diversity of landscape uses. Two new Lagerstroemia cultivars were released from the National Arboretum in 2003 that are characterized by bright red inflorescences and mildew-resistant, dark green foliage. ‘Arapaho’is a deciduous, upright, multi-stemmed tree or shrub with a broad, vase-shaped habit that has grown 7 meters high and 3.5 meters wide after 16 years of growth in Washington, D.C. The gray-brown bark exfoliates to a light tan-brown. The upright, tree-type habit of ‘Arapaho’ makes it well suited for use a specimen plant, as a street or highway tree, or in mass plantings in public parks ‘Cheyenne’ is a deciduous, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub that has grown 3.0 meters high and 3.0 meters wide after 15 years of growth in Washington, D.C. The rounded, compact, multi-stemmed habit of ‘Cheyenne’ makes it suitable for use as a specimen plant or in mass plantings and also in a shrub border or informal hedge. These cultivars are the first introductions that incorporate the lesser-known species L. limii Merr. into U.S.-grown cultivars. Incorporation of this germplasm into these new cultivars broadens the genetic base of cultivated crapemyrtle. |
