Summertime Dazzler

Good things really can come in small packages--especially in the garden. If you love crepe myrtles but are tight on space, the Razzle Dazzle Series is perfect for you. This crepe gives you all the brilliant color of its taller cousins, but because it's smaller, you can get a little more creative and have some fun with it.

Landscape Design Tips

Mature Razzle Dazzle crepe myrtles are about 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. You can plant just one as an accent shrub, or group several of them for a big show of color. If you really want to stop traffic, combine them with complementary plants for a low-maintenance border with "wow" factor.

For example, a tall evergreen shrub such as 'Burgundy' Chinese fringe (Loropetalum chinense) makes a nice backdrop for the cherry red, pink, or white blooms of Razzle Dazzle. Then for the foreground, you can add a low-growing evergreen such as blue rug creeping juniper.

With a tall evergreen in back, a low evergreen in front, and a bright ribbon of Razzle Dazzle in the middle of your border, you're ready to experiment by adding other plants to the mix to see what you prefer. We think you'll love the way Razzle Dazzle pairs with summer-blooming hydrangeas such as 'Limelight' or 'Pinky Winky.' Or try daylilies. Planted en masse, reblooming selections look terrific in a border and have the added bonus of giving you cut flowers to bring inside. ('Bitsy,' 'Happy Returns,' 'Black-eyed Stella,' and 'Pardon Me' are among our favorites.) Other good Razzle Dazzle companions include perennials such as 'David' or 'Mt. Fuji' summer phlox or any of the coneflowers in the Big Sky Series.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and dazzle the neighbors.

At A Glance

Type: deciduous shrub

Size: 3 feet tall, 4 feet wide

Light: full sun to partial shade

Soil: Moderately fertile, well-drained soil; drought tolerant once established.

Features: mildew resistant

Range: All South

Selections/Bloom Colors: 'Cherry Dazzle' (cherry red), 'Dazzle Me Pink' (pink), 'Snow Dazzle' (white), and 'Ruby Dazzle' (pink with bronze foliage)

Availability: Razzle Dazzle is part of the Gardener's Confidence Collection (available at The Home Depot). It is also available wherever Monrovia plants are sold.

Tip: Extend Razzle Dazzle's blooms into fall by deadheading spent blossoms.