Thunderstruck™ Rumblin Red™ Crape Myrtle

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

12-15 Feet

Mature Spread

8-10 Feet

Growing Zones

7 to 10

Thunderstruck™ Rumblin Red™ Crape Myrtle pairs ruby-red summer flowers with near-black ruffled foliage, giving it strong contrast. This fast-growing selection reaches about 12–15 feet tall and 8–12 feet wide, making it a dramatic small tree or large shrub for sunny spaces. Botanically named Lagerstroemia x 'JM2', it flowers from summer into fall on new growth. Place it where a plain green backdrop would disappear, because the dark foliage gives the red flowers a sharper outline in the landscape.

This deciduous crape myrtle has a bold upright habit and matures quickly when planted in warm, sunny sites. Once established, it handles drought and heat well, though it will flower best with deep watering during long dry stretches. The dark foliage adds summer contrast, and fall color creates another seasonal shift before dormancy. Use it as a specimen near a driveway, repeat it in a sunny border for screening, or place one where the foliage color can stand against lighter siding, stone, or ornamental grasses.

Thunderstruck™ Rumblin Red™ Crape Myrtle Care

Plant Thunderstruck™ Rumblin Red™ Crape Myrtle in full sun, with at least 6–8 hours of direct light for the best flowering and darkest foliage color. It grows well in average, well-drained soil and can tolerate clay or alkaline conditions when drainage is good. A slightly acidic to neutral soil pH is ideal, but this selection is adaptable in typical garden soils.

Water deeply during the first growing season, letting the soil dry slightly between soakings rather than keeping it wet. After establishment, water when the top 3 inches of soil are dry, especially in high heat or reflected sun. Feed in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer and avoid high nitrogen treatments.

Prune in late winter or very early spring before new growth begins, removing dead, damaged, crossing, or inward-growing branches. Avoid topping, since it weakens structure and cuts away the natural form. Remove suckers from the base as they appear, and keep mulch over the root zone without piling it against the trunks.

Thunderstruck™ Rumblin Red™ Crape Myrtle Spacing

Space Thunderstruck™ Rumblin Red™ Crape Myrtle 8–12 feet from nearby shrubs, walls, and fences so the canopy has room to widen. For screening or a repeated border, plant 10–12 feet apart and allow the plants to grow into a loose flowering row. For containers, use only as a young temporary patio tree in a large 24–30 inch planter with excellent drainage before moving it into the ground. Pair landscape plants with spirea, agastache, and black-eyed Susans for sun-loving pollinator color. Use African daisies or sweet potato vines around a temporary container planting.

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