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2 Ratings

Lagerstroemia 'With Love Kiss'® 19cm

Normal price €15,00
What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?

The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.

Deciduous flowering outdoor shrub · Lythraceae · compact upright freely branching habit

Lagerstroemia indica With Love® Kiss (‘Milarosso’ PBR)

It does not merely flower. It shows off 🌷

Family: Lythraceae · Pot diameter: 19cm · Height: 40cm

  • Deep-pink flowers
  • Compact bushy habit
  • Summer colour flushes
  • Freely branching form

Lagerstroemia indica With Love® Kiss (‘Milarosso’ PBR) dresses summer with generous deep-pink flower clusters held clearly above dark green foliage. Its compact, bushy silhouette feels full without becoming heavy or rigid. As warmth builds, flowering tips turn the small shrub into a vivid pink focal point, combining romantic character, crinkled texture and a clean contemporary outline.

Its small scale brings the abundant flowerheads to the front of a border or a group of pots. Deep pink shows clearly beside white flowers and silver leaves. With a few low companions, Kiss supplies the summer accent while leaving the planting behind it visible.

What makes it special

Deep-pink flowers, dense branching and restrained scale combine in a small crape myrtle with remarkable presence.

Lasting rich pink

Crinkled petals open saturated dark pink and change little as they mature.

Full bushy outline

Numerous upright lateral shoots create a balanced shrub rather than a sparse miniature tree.

Flowers at the tips

Terminal thyrses rise above dark foliage, keeping the colour visible from every side.

Why you will love it: it combines the drama of a lavish pink crape myrtle with the full form of a small, well-branched shrub.

In the garden & on the balconyPlacement & plant combinationsVivid summer focus · full sun · mature size about 60 × 40cm
Planting position

Sunny pink focal point

Place in full sun near an entrance, seating area or the front of a border, where the dark-pink flowering tips remain clearly visible. Allow about 50–60cm from neighbouring compact plants.

Colour & compatibility

Pink, silver, movement

Deep pink gains intensity beside purple spires, silver foliage and airy white flowers.

  • Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ — dark purple spires that strengthen the warm pink.
  • Oenothera lindheimeri — airy white flowers moving around the compact canopy.
  • Santolina chamaecyparissus — silver foliage at the best-drained edge, with separate, less frequent watering.

Care at a glance

Light

Full sun in a warm, sheltered position for the richest deep-pink flower display.

Watering

Maintain even moisture during establishment and summer heat, allowing surplus water to drain completely.

Climate & hardiness

Deciduous; established plants have been recorded as tolerating temperatures down to −15°C, while roots in pots benefit from protection during severe frost.

Safety

The species is not considered toxic to dogs or cats, but it is not intended for consumption.

Detailed careComplete care guideEight practical points: Position, Watering, Soil, Feeding, Seasonal behaviour, Pruning & clearing, Safety, Reading the plant.

Position

Full sun in a warm, sheltered position for the richest deep-pink flower display.

Watering

Maintain even moisture during establishment and summer heat, allowing surplus water to drain completely.

Soil

Fertile, organic, deep and very well-drained soil or growing mix, without prolonged wetness around the roots.

Feeding

Apply a light balanced feed in early spring; excessive nitrogen produces foliage at the expense of flowering tips.

Seasonal behaviour

Deciduous; established plants have been recorded as tolerating temperatures down to −15°C, while roots in pots benefit from protection during severe frost.

Pruning & clearing

Remove dead, weak or crossing wood in late winter and shape lightly before current-season growth begins.

Safety

The species is not considered toxic to dogs or cats, but it is not intended for consumption.

Reading the plant

Sparse flowering often points to insufficient sun or summer warmth, while excessively soft green growth usually indicates surplus nitrogen.

Development over timeHow the deep-pink cloud developsThree stages from root establishment to a compact shrub crowned with deep-pink flowers.

Root establishment

During the first season it develops fine roots and secures its structural shoots.

Base thickening

New lateral branches fill the centre and increase future flowering tips.

Pink summer canopy

The mature summer plant carries terminal thyrses on its current-season shoots.

Mature habit & dimensions

established mature plant
Height about 60cmSpread about 40cmCompact upright shrub
Habit and dimensions — Lagerstroemia indica With Love® Kiss (‘Milarosso’ PBR)A leafy crown with upright branching and flowers at the tips of new shoots.40 cm60 cm

A leafy crown with upright branching and flowers at the tips of new shoots.

Form through time

two real states
Genuine form developmentNew growth and deep-pink flowers
Winter frameworkAfter leaf fall, the woody branches and their buds remain visible.Winter framework

After leaf fall, the woody branches and their buds remain visible.

Summer floweringNew leafy growth carries the characteristic flowerheads.Summer flowering

New leafy growth carries the characteristic flowerheads.

The seasonal views show natural changes in growth and flowering.

What to expect after planting: After root establishment, lateral branching increases the tips that flower on current-season growth. Each warm season can make the deep-pink cloud denser without turning the plant into a large tree.

History & originCultivar originPiero Frangi · Vertemate con Minoprio, Italy · sown 1998 · selected 1999

The story of Lagerstroemia indica ‘Milarosso’, now marketed as With Love® Kiss, began in 1998 in Piero Frangi’s breeding programme at Vertemate con Minoprio, Italy. Seed from the open pollination of 33 unnamed proprietary selections was pooled and sown as breeding line 53.31. In 1999, one unique dark-pink-flowered seedling was selected; because pollination was open and the seed pooled, its exact parents remain unknown.

The selection combined an upright, well-branched habit with early, extended flowering, dark-pink flowers, good tolerance of powdery mildew and observed frost resistance. That same year, Frangi began propagating it by stem cuttings at Vertemate con Minoprio, and successive generations remained true to type.

The US plant-patent application was filed on 19 November 2014. Assignment of Frangi’s interest to Fondazione Minoprio was recorded on 9 December 2014, while ‘Milarosso’ joined the With Love® series under the selling name Kiss.

US Plant Patent PP26,843, naming Piero Frangi as inventor and Fondazione Minoprio as assignee, was granted on 21 June 2016. In the European market the cultivar is protected under number EU 47220.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance

Terminal thyrses on new growth

The inflorescences are branched thyrses formed at the tips of current-season lateral shoots.

Six crinkled petals

Each flower usually has six stalked, kidney-shaped petals with strongly undulate margins and measures about 4.8cm across.

Freely branching structure

Young stems are quadrangular with rounded wings, while ovate-to-elliptic leaves are arranged in opposite pairs.

Frequently asked questions

Six specific answers about position, watering, soil, mature size and the summer display.

01How large does Kiss become?

It forms a compact shrub about 60 cm tall and 40 cm wide. This small scale suits the front of a border and pots.

02How much sun does it need for pink flowers?

Choose full sun. Warmth and light encourage summer flowering, whereas shade can produce more foliage and fewer blooms.

03Does it flower on new growth?

Yes. Flowerheads form at the tips of new lateral shoots. Preserve its branching and avoid summer clipping that removes buds.

04When should I tidy the crown?

At the end of winter, before new growth, remove dead or crossing twigs. Hard annual cutting is unnecessary to keep it small.

05Is it completely immune to powdery mildew?

No. Good tolerance has been observed, but tolerance does not mean immunity. Sun, air circulation and avoiding prolonged leaf wetness help keep foliage healthy.

06Is a leafless winter crown normal?

Yes. It is a deciduous crape myrtle. Wait for warmer spring weather before assessing leaf emergence, as growth often starts relatively late.

© Original plant description by Greenleaf Garden Center. All rights reserved. This text is original material. Copying is prohibited under Greek Law 2121/1993.

Every living Lagerstroemia indica With Love® Kiss (‘Milarosso’ PBR) varies naturally in branch arrangement, number of flowering tips and seasonal foliage density.