Plant Profile: Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke'

Names

Crepe Myrtle

  • Photo of Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' (Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke's)

Phonetic Spelling:la-ger-STROH-mee-ah

Genus:Lagerstroemia

Species:

Family:Lythraceae

The 'Pocomoke' crepe myrtle is often described as "truly amazing." Introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in 1998, this variety showcases stunning deep rose-pink blooms that appear from mid to late summer. It flourishes under the same growing conditions as typical crepe myrtles, so planting it in full sunlight is essential for a vibrant display during July and August.

As a deciduous shrub, 'Pocomoke' sheds its leaves each fall. This resilient plant is both drought and disease tolerant, requiring a spacing of three feet between individual shrubs. It can be effectively used in expansive mass plantings or arranged in smaller clusters to form a low hedge. If you value seasonal color and a compact mature height, this striking plant is an excellent choice for your garden.

Potential issues include fungal leaf spot and powdery mildew, along with some vulnerability to aphids and scale insects. Additionally, leaves may exhibit chlorosis in alkaline soils.

For further details on Lagerstroemia, please refer to additional resources.

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Feature Summary

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#deciduous
#pink flowers
#small shrub
#slow growing
#red leaves
#deciduous shrub
#fall interest
#dwarf
#flowering shrub
#glossy leaves
#long bloom time
#mid-summer flowers
#early summer flowers
#late summer flowers
#exfoliating bark
#flowers early fall
#fall color red

Similar Plants

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Feature Summary

Fruit
Round capsules remain on shrub into the winter.
Green
Brown/Copper
Flowers
Terminal panicles of rosy-pink blooms summer to fall. Flowers are numerous, irregular, and 1 inch wide. They commonly have 6 petals, are clawed, and cristate.
Showy
Long Bloom Season
6 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
2-inch-long glossy oval leaves are green in summer and bronze-red in fall. Margins are entire and leaf arrangement is opposite. New leaves are maroon, turn dark green and in fall are bright red.
Green
Red/Burgundy
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Elliptical
Oblong
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
The bark is gray to tan which exfoliates with age.
Light Gray
Light Brown
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Tree
Multi-stemmed
Erect
Dense
Spreading
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Rock Garden
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Container
Patio
Lawn
Small Space

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Attributes

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

Powdery Mildew

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Fruit

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Fruit Description

Round capsules remain on shrub into the winter.

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Green

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Flowers

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Description

Terminal panicles of rosy-pink blooms summer to fall. Flowers are numerous, irregular, and 1 inch wide. They commonly have 6 petals, are clawed, and cristate.

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Leaves

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Description

2-inch-long glossy oval leaves are green in summer and bronze-red in fall. Margins are entire and leaf arrangement is opposite. New leaves are maroon, turn dark green and in fall are bright red.

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Color

spa
Green
spa
Red/Burgundy

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Brown/Copper
spa
Red/Burgundy

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Bark

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Bark Description

The bark is gray to tan which exfoliates with age.

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Bark Color

grass
Light Brown
grass
Light Gray

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Surface/Attachment

Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Whole Plant Traits

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Cultural Conditions

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Stem

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke' Landscape

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Lagerstroemia 'Pocomoke': Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland