The Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle, otherwise known as the Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 is a pretty well known shrub plant by gardening enthusiasts around the world.
Best known for its low maintenance and moderate growth, this shrub will likely liven up your house (or garden) with its purple colored leaves. But, only if you learn how to take proper care of it for it to thrive.
This is why all the topics you need to know in order to achieve this will be covered in this Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle Care Guide. Ready? Let’s go!
The basic care guidelines you need to remember for your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle are the following:
- Water: The Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle needs at least weekly watering, or more in extreme heat, preferably with regular water.
- Light: Keep your Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 in an environment where it can receive full sun on a daily basis.
- Soil: Make sure to keep the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle in soil with moist but well-draining properties, so ideally, one that is made of clay, loam, chalk, and sand.
And that’s practically it! If you keep these three factors in check, your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle will likely have all it needs for it to survive and even thrive.
Scientific / Botanical Aspects
In botanical terms, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle belongs to the Verbenaceae family, the genus Lantana and the species Camara, hence its scientific (or botanical) name Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 (la-ger-STRE-mee-a IN-dih-kuh).
As with other Lantana’s, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle is a deciduous plant, which means it will shed its leaves annually once autumn comes.
Growing Region
The Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle is a plant native to the native to the West Indies and Mexico to Tropical America.
Knowing your plant’s native region is very useful, as it can give you tips on which environment is best for your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle. If you keep it in mind, you can try to replicate these conditions at home, and you’ll likely end with a healthier plant.
With this in mind, the Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 will be most used to the heat zones in the 1 – 12 region, as the plant hardiness level falls between 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11b, 11a and the ideal climate zone is between 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2.
Growth and Size
Growth
In terms of size and growth, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle is a relatively moderate grower, which makes things somewhat easy for any plant enthusiast.
Size
But, what size of Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle are we talking about? What can you expect in terms of height, spread and spacing? Let’s dig in…
The Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 can grow up to 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm) in 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm) and 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm) in 1′ – 2′ (30cm – 60cm).
These dimensions make the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle a relatively medium shrub compared to others, so it’s best to keep this fact in mind since it will affect where you want to keep yours at home.
Also, expect it to grow in a wonderful rounded, and upright shape, which is something worthwhile to remember when making your garden landscape plans.
This is why experts recommend keeping an area of approximately 24″ (60cm) free so the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle can spread to its best extent.
Water
In terms of watering, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle is a fairly simple plant to take care of.
This is mostly because it has a straightforward watering schedule and somewhat regular watering needs.
Specifically, most experts agree that the Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 needs at least weekly watering, or more in extreme heat, preferably with regular water.
Which is why it is considered a plant with relatively low to average needs in terms of water.
Watering
As a rule of thumb, you should remember to keep your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle in soil with moist but well-draining characteristics, as these will guarantee the right conditions for your plant to grow and thrive.
When you consider this, this is why you should aim to choose soil that has good drainage, and moist properties to keep the right moisture levels at all times.
However, in our experience, the best solution to knowing the right amount of water for your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle is with the ‘thumb’ technique. Basically, you insert your finger into the soil, and based if you feel the soil moist or dry, you determine if it needs any water, which is the most appropriate way to go about watering your leafy friend.
Soil Mix
As mentioned earlier, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle prefers to have soil with good drainage, and moist properties at all times, reason why you need to make the soil mix out of clay, loam, chalk, and sand.
This is why most experts agree that the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle requires soil with clay, high organic matter, loam (silt), and sand, which will give you the right conditions it needs.
In addition to this, expert gardeners recommend having preferably alkaline, acid or neutral soil.
Light and Exposure
In terms of light & exposure, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle requires full sun in order for it to thrive under the right conditions.
Most experts agree that this shrub will do well as long as you keep it in full sun, and it will be able to grow properly.
Specifically, we recommend that you place your Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 in full and direct sun (more than 6 hours of direct sunlight per day).
Season
Being a deciduous plant, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle will shed its leaves annually once autumn comes.
But, you can expect it to have its ‘prime-time’ during the spring (late), the summer (early, mid, late), and during the fall.
Flowers
You can expect your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle to flower around the summer and in the fall months from July to September (summer), and from October to December (fall).
In particular, this shrub is well known for its repeat flowering, long bloom season and showy flowers around the plant enthusiast community.
The Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle produces some beautiful red, or orange,purple/lavender, gold/yellowpink, and white flowers around this time of year.
Foliage
The leaves from the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle have a beautiful purple color during most of the year.
In particular, they have a simple arrangement with a opposite and whorled organization in its leaves.
You can expect the leaves from your Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 to be around (3-6 inches) in size.
Attracts, Tolerance and Resistance
The Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle is well known for being able to attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so keep that in mind when choosing your plant, as you’ll likely end up finding one or another in your garden.
Additionally, it has a special tolerance for salt, drought and animals like rabbit and deer, so don’t worry if any of these come along, your Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 will be fine.
Garden
How should you then organize your garden to include your new Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle? Here are some recommendations by expert gardeners.
Most Lagerstroemia Indica ‘Whit X’ Plant Patent #27,085 owners agree that this shrub will look great in most mediterranean, cottage and rustic gardens of all types.
Other owners consider that they complement well most gardens of mediterranean garden, coastal garden, informal and cottage, and in prairie and meadow styles.
In particular, the Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle’s best location within your garden is in patio and containers, banks and slopes, beds and borders, and in wall-side borders, others use it for landscaping in a specimen, privacy screen, container, border, hedge, mass planting, or a urban garden.
Companion Plants
Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle’s do well with some other plants beside it. One good companion plant is the Hibiscus syriacus, which will pair up nicely with your leafy friend.
Others consider that a nice Rhaphiolepis will work well too, so choose whichever you find works best for you!
Conclusion
And we’ve come to an end. Fortunately, that’s everything you need to know about your Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle to keep it safe and sound in your garden or home. Enjoy planting!
