Chason Arthur · Gardenality Administrator · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Cool shrubry!

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Planting
When planting Pocomoke Crape Myrtle choose a site that provides well-drained soil and full to mostly sun. The plant won't bloom as well if there is too much shade.

To plant, dig a hole no deeper than the root ball and two to three times the width of the root ball and fill it with water. If the hole drains within a few hours, you have good drainage. If the water is still standing 12 hours later, improve the drainage in your bed, perhaps by establishing a raised bed. Turn and break up the soil removed from the planting hole. If the native soil removed from the planting hole is compacted or heavy clay, mix in organic compost at a 25 to 30% ratio to condition soil. Remove your plant from its container and carefully but firmly loosen the root ball. Set the plant into the hole you've prepared, making sure the top of the root ball is slightly above the soil level. Pull your backfill soil mixture around the root ball in the hole, tamping as you go to remove air pockets. Then water thoroughly and cover with a one to two-inch layer of mulch.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Pruning
Pocomoke Crape Myrtle is a dwarf shrub that does not require pruning. If you do prune do so in late winter before new growth starts to emerge.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Feeding
I fertilize crape myrtle in early spring with a well-balanced shrub & tree type fertilizer after new growth begins to emerge in spring.

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Problems
I've had no serious pest or disease problems on my Pocomoke Crape Myrtle. It is resistant to powdery mildew. Consistently wet soil can cause problems with the roots.

Spencer Young · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F · Comment About Pruning
no pruning needed, just cut away dead or broken branches or stray ones, A hard pruning to rejuvinate an old plant that has become haggard can be done in late winter before new growth emerges

Gardenality.com · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
If you're looking for a true dwarf crape myrtle Pocomoke is it. Well, there are other dwarfs but this one is my personal favorite. I like the varieties in the Razzle Dazzle series but, on average, they grow about twice the size of Pocomoke.

Introduced by the US National Arboretum, Pocomoke reaches maybe 2 feet in height and 3 feet in width at maturity. It produces an abundance of rosy-pink flower clusters during summer against handsome, forest-green glossy foliage.

Pocomoke is resistant to powdery mildew and top hardy to Zone 7 and root hardy to Zone 6 if mulched. It will grow in any average soil however rich loamy soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5 is best.