Is it possible one of your Tontos was mislabeled? I'm not familiar with that cultivar, so I can't tell you definitively what the flower color should be.

The process from rooted cutting to potted plant at the garden center is such a long and winding road that it wouldn't surprise me if somewhere along the way lables got switched.

This is why I try to only buy important bloomers while they are in bloom, just to be sure of what I am growing.

I have seen grafted plants start out one color and shift to a different color over time but it was clearly a reversion where one color took over and edged out the old color.

I am constantly on the lookout for the dark Watermelon Pink type of tall crape myrtles - the kind you see blooming now all over Raleigh. There are some around town that I swear bloom all summer long and get very big. Me want bad.

trianglejohn - try Justrees on US-50 just past Garner. They aren't cheap, but they are almost full grown and you can see what colors they are anyway.

Tonto is definitely not pinkish, definitely more of a violet tinted RED or magenta.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of Tonto crapemyrtle

John -- are you wanting Tuscarora? That's what I have -- and I do have seedlings in the ground around one of mine. The kids are about a foot high. I can only guess that they will someday bloom the same color (see photo).

Cameron
{{gwi:580640}}

I've always been told that 'Tuscarora' is medium sized. The trees I'm talking about are around Raleigh and get well over 20 feet tall, maybe even 30. They must have been planted 20-30 years ago and no one seems to know what the cultivar name is or if the same trees are available today. The color of 'Tuscarora' and 'Watermelon Red', 'Betty's Watermelon' and a few others are the deep pink I like. Right now I am keeping my eyes open to pay attention to which trees bloom the longest around here.

My goal is to replace an ancient red oak that got struck by lightening and needs to be cut down. It is the only shade source for the front porch so whatever gets planted there needs to get at least 20 feet tall and provide a lot of shade.

I have Dynamite, which grow large (some say up to 30 feet) and have almost pure red blooms. Mine are still relatively small (can't afford big ones to start out) and I don't have photos of them but you can surely find them online. Here is a link:

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Dynamite_Crapemyrtle.htm

I also have one that was labeled "Watermelon" that is a very nice deep pink but not actually red.

Speaking of 'Tuscarora', I bought another one yesterday to take the place of my demised cherry tree. They are having a sale on them and this baby is somewhere around 12-13', but labeled 8-10 so they let me have it for the sale price. I mean this thing is huge with beautiful watermelon colored blooms everywhere. Can't wait ti get it settled in and start watering.

Also saw some Dynamite reds, but for some reason they only sell them in the 5-6' size category. Hmmmm.

Well I had another 'duh?' moment in the garden. I had bought a large potted crape myrtle at the Raulston Arboretum Gala in May (a left over that nobody wanted). I was told that it was a lavender pink so I set it aside and continued my quest for the dark pinks. After all this talk about reds and dark pinks I went out and read the tag on my tree and it is an 'Arapaho' which is NOT light pink but the dark pink AND extra tall like I wanted. Duh! Not that this really changes things, I want more than one.

We just added three 'Muskogee' to our garden this year. I love the color and it will work well with almost all other colors of the garden.

My 'Tuscarora' crapes were in full bloom on July 25, 2008. They still haven't peaked here this year. Maybe it is the rain?

Cameron

Cameron,
My crapes are way behind this year. My Natchez bloomed earlier than normal but my Dynamites and Red Rockets are barely showing color. Some of my crapes have no blooms at all.
This time last year everything was in full bloom.
I am wondering if it is the weather.

Glad to know that it isn't just mine crapes! They were showing more blooms today, so maybe soon.

My white crape is in full glorious bloom to the point it's bending over. The watermelon red is just starting.

The trees around the surrounding properties grew around 10'+ from last year or they are providing at least that much more shade, so the increasing PM shade must be slowing all my crapes down a bunch. I hate it, but they'll still grow I guess.

My crapes aren't showing color yet, either.