Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tonto' (Crape Myrtle) Unity Grown

Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tonto' is an attractive, showy hybrid cultivar of crape myrtle, a multi-trunked ornamental tree found in gardens the world over. The 'Tonto' hybrid was developed at the U.S. National Arboretum as a cross between two common crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica and Lagerstroemia subcostata var. fauriei, and is noted for is medium size, red-purple fall foliage, and its profusion of textured, magenta to fuchsia-pink flowers that bloom in large clusters starting in mid to late summer and and all the way into the fall season. Growing to only 8-15' tall, the 'Tonto' cultivar may be a bit smaller than other crape myrtle selections, but its flowers are attractive to gardeners and to pollinators, and the tree's dark green foliage also turns to striking shades of red and purple in the fall, adding multi-season interest alongside attractive, excising cinnamon-brown bark. 

Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Tonto' prefers average, well-drained soils in full sun conditions, though it will also tolerate partial shade. As one of the U.S. National Arboretum selections, 'Tonto' is highly disease resistant, and makes for an extremely colorful specimen tree selection throughout the year. And when you add in the pollinator appeal and the trees' attractiveness to birds, it's hard to go wrong with a 'Tonto' crape myrtle.