Red Crepe Myrtle Questions

Does anyone know if it is possible to get a true red crape myrtle? I looked at the plantfiles page for 'dynamite', 'red rocket' and a few others. I noticed that some of the pictures for them show true red in some photos and some are a fuschia, pinkish red and they are all supposed to be the same cultivar. This makes me think maybe we are labeling some stuff wrong, nurseries are passing off poorly labeled plants as something they aren't, or it must be the cameras and lighting. I don't know.
I just bought a crape myrtle labeled as 'dynamite' and thought I would have a true red one like the photos. However, I get it home and it finally blooms and now I have pinky-red which I hate. I absolutely cannot stand fuschia. It, to me, is the all-time worst color. Anyway, will it 'red up' or should I just take it back? Is there such a thing as a red crape myrtle, like fire engine red or even an orangy-red?

I think they are a bit like Bougainvillia....tending to "age " to that colour you hate......good luck in your search.....let us know if you find one that does not do that.....we would all like that.

ga peach, I have two dynomites and when the blooms first open, they are pinky red. in 1-2 days the become what I would characterize as true red. Kinda weird that they do that.

I would say CM Red Rocket is a fire engine red. I prefer Dynomite (sp?) because it is redder, but Red Rocket is quite beautiful too.

I find it best to buy them in bloom so you know what the colors look like. Sometimes you cannot do this but it is a leap of faith (sometimes waiting until the next year or more depending on the plant to see the color and then be disappointed). We bought a grafted Kwanzan cherry last year but the blooms were almost white this year. Yuk.

Then there are times you buy something in bloom at the nursery and it never repeats from then on. I bought a peppermint blooming peach tree years ago in bloom which was what I wanted. It was always a pale pink from then on. After five years I cut it down.

Thanks y'all. It was driving me crazy. I thought I was losing it because the color did seem to change but it still isn't really red though. I guess I will have to check out the red rocket now. I also hear 'siren' is red but it must be new or something because I have yet to see one anywhere or even pictures here at Dave's. I may just have to go without but that seems so against the grain especially here in GA where crape myrtles and magnolia's are southern mainstays.

ooooh, we cross posted hcmcdole. I know the feeling though. I bought a carpet rose that was supposed to be scarlet red. At the store it was full of blooms. Darn thing barely bloomed here in the ground for me and when it did, you can guess which color it bloomed.....FUSCHIA.

Our first crepe myrtles we bought at our last house were supposed to be watermelon red. Needless to say they turned out pink the next year which are okay but they were not red. Eventually we got red plus purple which were our favorite colors.

At our last house we had many crepe myrtles (pink, red, purple, lilac, and even a very large white volunteer). We have been at our new house for 3 years and no crepe myrtles (yet), so I guess we are going against the grain. My wife doesn't like all the litter they produce. I may have to get some and put them so far in the back that she wouldn't object to them since she rarely goes there.

We bought 6 roses last year that my wife thought were red (Lady Elsie May) but are a hot pink. I like them but she doesn't. They seem to bloom all the time which is what we both like.

Well, I think I'll keep it. It bloomed and at first looked somewhat pinky. However, I had it sitting on the front porch and today when I came home, it really did look red. I just kind of glanced at it as I came up and then it hit me, wow, that really does look red! Weird thing is the blooms are each kind of circular with yellow centers.

Often the plant files pictures look a bit off because different cameras record the color red differently.

My neighbor has a fire engine red one - I will try to remember to take a picture of it tomorrow.

Cameras will record red differently, and it matters whether or not your plant is in the sun or shade when the picture is taken. All will make the same bloom look much different.

Hope you find a nice red one...I'm on the same quest....although, I like the pinks too...and the purples, and the whites....

It's in the shade right now, but I won't bother taking a picture.

i have three Red Sirens, purchased this spring from Ecolage. i can't give a true account yet at this point because we had a horribly dry summer and though i watered faithfully, all the newly planted trees really took it tough. they did bloom however and so far i would say the color was true red aging to deep burgundy.

Hi trackinsand -- where is Ecolage ? Can one mail order. I'd love to get a deep red/burgundy.

ecolage is online. look at watchdog. i think they are in the top 30. it's a great place to buy plants. they were hit hard during katrina and i like steering business their way, but mainly because they sell such big, healthy plants. my myrtles were at least 2' tall and still dormant. they leafed out as soon as i planted them and have done remarkably well, considering the nasty summer we've had. i've bought quite a few things from them.