small tree
Crape myrtle 'Tonto'
Lagerstroemia 'Tonto'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 7–11, Crape myrtle 'Tonto' is a fast-growing deciduous small tree. It grows 8–12 ft tall and 8–10 ft wide, so plant it 8 ft apart. Give it full sun and little water once established. It flowers red in July to September. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Lagerstroemia 'Tonto'
- Plant type
- Small tree, deciduous
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Tolerates clay and alkaline soil; needs drainage.
- Mature size
- 8–12 ft tall × 8–10 ft wide
- Spacing
- 8 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Jul–Sep · red
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor, Structure
- Styles
- classic, cottage, low water
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Crape myrtle is listed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 7-gallon pot, typically $50–$85 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Do not top; remove crossing stems and suckers in late winter.
Sources: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Crape myrtle 'Tonto', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'shrub · zones 8–11
- Stonecrop 'Autumn Joy'Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'succulent · zones 3–9
- Shrub rose 'Knock Out'Rosa 'Radrazz'shrub · zones 5–10
- Dwarf fountain grass 'Hameln'Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Crape myrtle 'Tonto': same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Weeping redbud 'Ruby Falls'Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Smoke tree 'Royal Purple'Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'zones 4–8 · flagged toxic to pets
- Common lilacSyringa vulgariszones 3–7 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Panicle hydrangea 'Limelight'Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'zones 3–8 · flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants