Lagerstroemia indica Play It Again Double Feature - Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica 'Double Feature' is a variety of Indian Lilac whose young shoots and flower panicles display rich Bordeaux-red hues.  This shrub naturally forms a compact, rounded shape, which requires little to no pruning, making it well suited for small spaces and container gardening. It is a cultivar that does not produce seeds, but produces numerous flowers between July and October. Once established, it is water-efficient and fairly hardy and resistant to mildew. 

Lagerstroemia indica 'Double Feature' is a recent introduction that is part of the Play It Again hybrid collection, carefully selected for their sterility and thus their perpetual flowering character.

'Double Feature' belongs to the Lythraceae family, just like the Lagerstroemia indica, from which it originates. The latter is native to China. This variety has an upright and compact habit. It reaches about 2m (6 ft 7 in) in all directions when grown in the ground. Its growth is quite slow. It chooses the month of July to initiate its flowering, which continues until October. The inflorescences are composed of slender pedicels, each carrying five undulate-edged petals with a texture reminiscent of crepe paper. They are arranged in dense panicles at the ends of the current year's branches. In 'Double Feature', the pedicels and flower buds are a deep purple-red, and the flower buds open widely in a beautiful Bordeaux-red shade, gradually fading over time. The centre of the flowers is brought to life by fine golden-yellow stamens. The foliage, leathery and deciduous, is initially Bordeaux-red, then turns dark green from spring to summer, and takes on copper and golden-yellow hues in autumn before falling. It is composed of small, ovate and pointed leaves with a glossy appearance. Lastly, and to finish beautifully, its bark, as it ages, is interesting: smooth, beige, striated with grey, and reddish-brown, it peels off in more or less coloured patches (cinnamon, faded red, old rose, cream).  

Lagerstroemia is a small tree that is best enjoyed when planted as a standalone specimen near the house. It also looks great in a shrub border, a flowering hedge, or emerging from a mass of perennials. Create a bed like a bouquet, with Nepeta, shrubby salvias, and Aster laevis, etc. In autumn, it pairs well with the beautiful autumn foliage of smoke bushes and deciduous euonymus. In a large pot on the terrace, it puts on a show while the summer blooms fade away. 

NB: Karl Von Linné named this tree in honour of his friend, Magnus Von Lagestroem (1696-1759), who had sent it to him from India for identification. Originally, this tree was used to decorate Chinese temples. It should be noted that this tree produces fruits with narcotic properties if ingested.