Dynamite is the crape myrtle people ask for by color: true cherry-red flower clusters, not pink pretending to be red. It grows into a small tree around 15 to 20 feet, blooming through the heat of summer when little else does, with red-tinted new growth and smooth, mottled bark that keeps it interesting in winter.

Give it full sun; the more sun, the redder the bloom. It handles Birmingham heat and humidity well and shrugs off dry spells once established. Skip the hard February chop; light thinning keeps its natural shape and still brings plenty of flowers.