A new and distinct Lagerstroemia cultivar named ‘SMNLIMG’ is disclosed, characterized by rich red flowers, and dark glossy foliage. Plants are compact and freely branching. The new variety is a Lagerstroemia, normally used for outdoor ornamental purposes.

Latin name of the genus and species:Lagerstroemia indica.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The newLagerstroemiacultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Megan Mathey, in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new foliage colors, and more compact habits. The open pollination resulting in this new variety was made during July of 2013.

The seed parent is the commercial variety referred to asLagerstroemia‘Coral Magic’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,922. The pollen parent is unidentified. The new variety was selected in July of 2015 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2013 open pollination, in a nursery in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performed by softwood cuttings. This was first performed at the same nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. during July of 2015, and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in multiple successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘SMNLIMG’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMNLIMG’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMNLIMG’ as a new and distinctLagerstroemiacultivar:1. Rich red flowers.2. Dense, dwarf plant.3. Glossy foliage.4. Greyed-Red and Greyed-Purple new foliage, maturing to dark green.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘SMNLIMG’ are similar to plants of the seed parent,Lagerstroemia‘Coral Magic’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,922, in most horticultural characteristics; however, plants of the new cultivar ‘SMNLIMG’ differ in the following;1. The new variety has dark green mature foliage, while the seed parent has lighter green foliage.2. The new variety has magenta colored flowers, while, the seed parent has coral flowers.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘SMNLIMG’ are comparable to the commercial varietyLagerstroemia‘G2X133271’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,474. The twoLagerstroemiavarieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘SMNLIMG’ differs in the following;1. The new variety is dwarf, more compact; this comparator is a larger spreading plant.2. New variety has green, greyed-red and greyed-purple foliage, this comparator has green foliage.3. New variety has bright, red-pink pink flowers; comparator has darker red-pink flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2015 except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘SMNLIMG’ plants grown in a poly house during August 2017, in Grand Haven, Mich. The growing temperature ranged from approximately 18° C. to 27° C. during the day and from approximately 5° C. to 10° C. during the night. General light conditions are normal sunlight and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.Botanical classification:Lagerstroemia indica‘SMNLIMG’.

PROPAGATION

Type of propagation typically used: Softwood cuttings.Time to initiate roots: 21 days at 18-27° C.Time to produce a rooted cutting: 1-2 months at 18-27° C.Root description: Thin fibrous, not fleshy, freely branching. White in color, not accurately measured with R.H.S. Chart.

PLANT

FOLIAGE

FLOWER

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Fruits and seeds: Not observed to date.Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to normal diseases and pests ofLagerstroemiaobserved.Temperature range: Observed to tolerate a temperature range from −28° C. to 35° C. Root hardy to −28 C, top of the plant does die back to the ground.