TY - JOUR T1 - Revisiting the Salinity Tolerance of Crapemyrtles (<em>Lagerstroemia</em> spp.) JF - Arboriculture &amp; Urban Forestry (AUF) SP - 129 LP - 134 DO - 10.48044/jauf.2009.023 VL - 35 IS - 3 AU - Raul I. Cabrera Y1 - 2009/05/01 UR - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/35/3/129.abstract N2 - The crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia L.) is one of the most popular flowering trees in the U.S. and abroad. L. indica cultivars have dominated urban and landscape settings until their recent displacement by modern interspecific L. indica × L. fauriei Kohene hybrids. This study evaluated the salt tolerance of an older L. indica cultivar, ‘Pink Lace,’ and the hybrids ‘Natchez’ and ‘Basham’s Party Pink.’ While the growth of these three cultivars was significantly and negatively affected by increasing NaCl salinity (0 to 24 mM) in the irrigation water, the shoot to root ratio (S/R) and aesthetic parameters (chlorophyll content and salt burn ratings) of ‘Pink Lace’ was the most affected. This cultivar showed the most responsive relationships between salt burn ratings and sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) accumulation in leaf tissues. ‘Basham’s Party Pink’ was rated as the most salt tolerant, with relatively steady S/R, chlorophyll contents and salt burn rating across all salinities, and its leaf tissues had the lowest accumulation of Na and Cl. Results from this study also support the hypothesis that geographical and ecological origins of the parent Lagerstroemia species and selections largely influences the relative salinity tolerance of the cultivars. ER -