Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on November 17, 2022

Planting instructions

Your Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree will adapt well to most growing locations that receive at least six hours of direct light per day and have well-draining soils. With those conditions in place, begin the planting process by digging a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and at least twice as wide. Backfill with nutrient-rich soil while watering. Then, cover the planting area with a layer of organic mulch.

Watering and nutrients

A newly planted Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree will require water multiple times per week to keep the soil consistently moist. After the first growing season, you can plan to water this plant about once per week or once every other week. Alternatively, you can set your watering schedule based on soil moisture observations. Once you notice that the first three inches of soil are dry, it is time to add water. To feed this plant, apply a balanced fertilizer once per year in late winter or early spring.

Pollination

Pollination typically occurs quite easily for the Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree. As is the case for all crape myrtles, the Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle tree variety is a self-fertile plant with a long bloom time. That long bloom time affords flying insects plenty of time to feed on the flowers’ nectar and spread the pollen from one flower to another. After successful pollination, most crape myrtles will develop a small capsule fruit that has no edible or ornamental value but will often persist through much of winter.

Pruning

Prune your Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree during the later winter or early spring and begin the process by cutting out any limbs that are dead, damaged or diseased. After completing those more functional pruning tasks, you can move on to pruning for aesthetics. Typically, the Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree looks its best when it grows with a few distinct main stems. To achieve this look, you’ll likely need to remove smaller suckers.

Pests, diseases and animals

There are several diseases that can cause harm to your Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree, including black spots, sooty mold, tip blight and leaf spots. However, one of the most prevalent diseases for this plant is powdery mildew. Most of those infections tend to occur when this plant receives too much water or grows in poorly draining soil. Along with those disease threats, pests can also be a nuisance for the Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree. The most common pests to afflict this plant are aphids, scale insects and Japanese beetles.

Achieving maximum results

Your Amethyst King™ Emerald Empire® Crape Myrtle Tree is likely to look fantastic even if you give it minimal care. However, you can drastically improve this plant’s overall look with some strategic pruning. During the bloom period, remove spent flower clusters via deadheading to encourage more blooms to open. Once your plant is somewhat mature, it is often a good idea to remove most or all of the foliage on the bottom half of the plant to emphasize this plant’s lovely multi-stemmed form.

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