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Lagerstroemia fauriei 'Fantasy',
Fantasy Crapemyrtle

Looking for a crapemrytle that will make a canopy tree? Looking for a great medium sized (50 feet) street or shade tree with spectacular bark and trunk structure? You just found it.

Japanese Crapemyrtle grows best in full sun with rich, moist soil but will tolerate less hospitable positions in the landscape just as well, once it becomes established. However, plants left on their own in highway medians appear to be less vigorous unless ample mulch is applied out to the drip line. It will probably grow well in limited soil spaces in urban areas such as along boulevards and in parking lots. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people. Plants defoliate in severe drought but new foliage and flowers typically emerge when summer rain returns. 'Fantasy' should make a wonderful medium-sized street tree for many communities - the parent tree is about 50 feet tall now.

This is one of only a few Crapemyrtles that put on ample new growth after flowering. To prevent damage to this growth by an early frost, stop fertilizing in mid summer. This cultivar appears to have some trouble hardening off in the fall and is considered less hardy than 'Townhouse'.This plant does not droop as much after it rains compared to most other Crapemyrtles. This tree reportedly withstood minus 10 degree F when it was dormant. Flowers are small compared to many other cultivars and there is usually only one flower display each year.

Many crapemyrtles are magnets for a host-specific aphid that only infests crapemyrtle, not other plants. The damage this causes is not lethal to crapemyrtle. Many beneficial insects which feed on pests that damage other landscape plants use this aphid for food. In this way, the crapemyrtle aphid serves as prey for beneficial insects. Therefore, planting crapemyrtle that attract aphids can enhance biological control of insect pests on other plants in the landscape.