Flowering Trees – The Tree Center

Twilight Crape Myrtle

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Pink Pyramid Magnolia

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Cherry Mocha Crape Myrtle

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Royal White Redbud

kylettc — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 17:03:36 +0000

Rise ‘N Shine Redbud

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Huron® Dogwood

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Rhapsody In Pink® Crape Myrtle

kylettc — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 00:49:51 +0000

Ebony Fire Crape Myrtle

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Bellini® Strawberry Crape Myrtle

markttc — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 05:07:48 +0000

Nothing says ‘summer’ like a bowl of delicious strawberries, and nothing says ‘colorful’ like the deliciously-beautiful Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle. The delightful strawberry-red of its beautiful blooms is only the beginning, because this compact, colorful bush is guaranteed to be a winner in your garden, if summer color is your goal. If you only know big, old-fashioned crape myrtles, then you are in for a tasty treat with this new, dwarf variety that blooms prolifically from mid-summer into fall, asking almost nothing of you, and thriving in those difficult spots in your garden where hot sun and dryness make other plants give up. Only 3 feet tall and wide, it fits into small gardens, or it can be mass-planted in larger ones for drifts of beauty. It grows well in planter boxes too, and is a fabulous way to have a colorful summer that leaves you time to sit back and enjoy some real strawberry shortcake, knowing your garden is taking care of itself.

Growing the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle

Size and Appearance

The Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle is a deciduous shrub that forms a low, dense bush just 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Many branches fill it to the ground, and the glossy leaves keep it beautiful from the moment they appear in spring to the time in fall when they turn orange and yellow. They are only 1½ inches long and an inch wide, with a leathery texture and a smooth, glossy surface that stays healthy all summer, thanks to its resistance to powdery mildew. Every new stem that sprouts in spring soon develops a flower cluster at the end. A 3-inch ball of about 20 buds, each one lasts around 2 weeks, beginning in June. The ruffled flowers have the look of crepe paper, and they are a rich, bright strawberry red. As soon as a cluster fades new stems sprout just below it, producing more flower heads, and this continues well into September. Almost no other shrub delivers so much bloom, for so little effort. Seed pods don’t form, so no need to deadhead – a real bonus.

Using the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle in Your Garden

The strong coloring of the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle cries out to be made into a striking combination – why not front it with catmint, renowned for its silver leaves and blue flowers? A killer combination if ever there was one. Or plant it in front of a panicle hydrangea variety, for a cool strawberries and cream look. Use this compact bush in flower beds, or tuck it between the evergreens around your home. Grow it as an edging on a path or driveway, or around a patio. It is perfect in planter boxes too, and can be left out all winter from zone 8.

Hardiness

Completely hardy in zones 7 to 10, the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle will also grow in zone 6, with some winter damage to the stems. It will still bloom prolifically, though, just grow a little smaller. Mulch with bark or straw to help its survival. If you are growing it in a pot in zone 6, or even in zone 5, then place the pot in a cold shed or unheated garage for the winter months. Light isn’t needed, and it can take temperatures down to freezing.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is needed to get the best from the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle, as even a little shade reduces flowering noticeably. It grows well in poor soils, and is happy in urban gardens. Established plants are drought resistant, but an occasional deep soaking will work wonders, and encourage continuous blooming.

Maintenance and Pruning

Deer don’t bother the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle, and it is generally free of pests. It has good resistance to powdery mildew, and stays fresh and clean through the hottest and most humid summers. Deadheading is optional, which is great if you are a busy person, with limited time to garden. Feed in spring, and through summer for plants in containers – you will really see the benefit and it only takes moments. In spring, trim back the branches from the previous year, and take out any weak or damaged stems. That’s all it takes to enjoy this great bush for another year.

History and Origin of the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle

Mike Farrow is a professional plant breeder and a graduate of the University of Maryland. He operates out of Earleville, Maryland, and some years back he decided to focus on a range of compact, ever-blooming, dwarf crape myrtles. a popular variety in the south, forming a large bush with purple blooms, that was discovered in Texas in 1957. The next year the seedlings he raised began to bloom, and he picked out one that was dwarf growing, with amazing deep-pink blooms. After further trials and testing he named it ‘Strawconbel’, and received a patent in 2021. He already had several plants in his Bellini® series of dwarf crape myrtles, and this one became the color Strawberry in that range. All these plants are made available under the Star® Roses and Plants brand of The Conard Pyle Company, West Grove, Pennsylvania.

Buying the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle at the Tree Center

We know how much you will love the Bellini Strawberry Crape Myrtle when it blooms in your garden (and blooms, and blooms. . .). Make your beds into a summer cocktail with this terrific new bush that is so versatile it can be grown almost anywhere. Order now – we have limited stock and new varieties always sell out fast.

Bellini® Guava Crape Myrtle

markttc — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 05:04:31 +0000

Crape myrtles have come a long way from their time as summer-flowering trees with lilac blooms, often with dusty, unsightly summer leaves. Today they come in all sizes and colors, with resistance to disease, keeping those leaves clean and glossy even in the hottest, most humid summers. Now you can grow them in your shrub beds, even in smaller gardens, and, wow, even in planter boxes. For fabulous compact varieties look no further than the Bellini® series of varieties, in many wonderful colors. For light, bright pink, the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle is a top pick, hardy even in zone 6, but thriving in the hottest places, right into zone 10. With a long bloom period, smothered for months in glorious light pink blossoms, it’s a real winner for mixed shrub beds or in planter boxes. That bright but light color glows out across your garden, brightening dull areas and bringing life and beauty wherever you plant it. Easy and trouble-free, this is a shrub that won’t tie you down with complex care, and be in bloom for months. Build your summer beds around this great color series of compact crape myrtles, and settle back for a summer of fun, color and relaxation.

Growing the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle

Size and Appearance

The Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle is a deciduous bush with a dense, shrubby form, with many branches growing from the ground. It rapidly forms a bush between 3 and 4 feet tall and about the same size across, with leaves to the ground. Every stem carries big clusters of blooms, and is covered along its length with closely-packed oval leaves. These are mid-green, leather, glossy and smooth, turning yellows and oranges when fall comes. They are small, in scale with the bush, and not much more than 1-inch long and ½ inch wide. In spring new shoots grow from all the branches, and each one produces a big cluster of blooms that lasts about 2 weeks. The flowers have hardly faded before new stems push out just below them, and those are soon in bloom. This way blooming continues from early summer right into fall. No seed pods are produced, so blooms just keep on coming. The ruffled flowers have the texture of crepe paper, and they are a delicious bright, light pink – perfect anywhere in your garden. You won’t believe the color boost even one bush will bring to your summer.

Using the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle in Your Garden

The neat, compact size of the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle makes it a perfect fit in a smaller garden, or in more intimate parts of a larger one. Plant it in beds close to the front, or along a low fence. Use it as an accent or to line a pathway. Grow it in planter boxes or beside your terrace – the options are never-ending. From zone 8 it is perfect in planter boxes, and even in colder zones potted plants can be kept in a cold shed in winter – they don’t need light.

Hardiness

In zones 7 to 10 the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle will thrive, and it enjoys the southern sun, heat and humidity. It grows in zone 6 too, where it may suffer some winter injury, but come bouncing back in spring, blooming just as prolifically, and growing just 2 or 3 feet tall in the season. In zone 6 a mulch of bark or straw around the base is a good idea. Pull the mulch back in spring, and wait until new growth sprouts before removing any winter-killed branches. Plants in pots and boxes can be left outdoors all winter in zones 8, 9 and 10. In colder zones you can store them for winter in a cold garage or shed. They don’t need light, but it must be cold – around freezing, but not much colder.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle in full sun. Even a little shade reduces flowering significantly. Any well-drained soil will support it, even poor soils such as we find in many urban gardens. Once well-established it is drought resistant, but a deep soak from time to time during the heat of summer will keep it blooming like crazy.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pest problems are few or absent with the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle, and it doesn’t become dusty and gray with powdery mildew in summer. It also isn’t bothered by deer. It doesn’t set seed either, so deadheading just became optional – a great saving on your busy schedule. Some spring fertilizer for garden plants, and regular liquid feeding for plants in containers will keep your bush growing well. A trim in spring, shortening back branches of the previous year, is all the attention it needs. Never trim new growth – that will reduce or eliminate flowering.

History and Origin of the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle

The original crape myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, has been grown in America for a very long time, but most older varieties are tree-like, needing hard pruning each year to keep them as bushes. An old variety, popular in the south for many years, is ‘Twilight’, a tall, tree-like plant with purple blooms. In 2015 Mike Farrow, a specialist breeder who graduated from the University of Maryland before setting up his own business in Earleville, Maryland, collected seeds from a bush of ‘Twilight’. This is an older variety with purple flowers discovered in Texas in 1957. He grew a big batch of seedlings and studied them carefully. One stood out, with a rounded, dwarf habit and glorious pink blooms. He named it `Bellaggua`, and in 2021 was granted a patent on his invention. He added it to other dwarf varieties he had created, and through Star® Roses and Plants it became the color Guava in his Bellini® series of dwarf crape myrtles.

Buying the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle at the Tree Center

Every garden, big or small, can be a home for the Bellini Guava Crape Myrtle. The product of skilled American plant breeding, it’s the missing ingredient in your garden cocktail. Fill that gap and order now – these great compact bushes can’t wait to get out and grow for our clients, so don’t hesitate or it could be too late.