Crape Myrtle

Crape myrtle is the quintessential summer-flowering tree for warm climates, offering months of colorful blooms from midsummer through fall when few other trees are in flower. Choose a site with full sun for maximum flowering, as shade significantly reduces bloom production and encourages powdery mildew. Crape myrtles thrive in heat and tolerate drought once established, making them ideal for hot, dry locations. Plant in well-drained soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5.

Plant container-grown specimens in spring or fall. Space 10 to 20 feet apart depending on mature size of the cultivar. Water deeply at planting and weekly during the first growing season. Once established, crape myrtles need supplemental water only during extended drought periods.

Pruning is the most misunderstood aspect of crape myrtle care. The common practice of severe topping, often called crape murder, produces ugly knobby stubs and weakens the tree over time. Instead, prune in late winter by removing crossing branches, suckers from the base, and interior twigs smaller than a pencil. Selectively thin to enhance the natural vase shape and reveal the beautiful mottled exfoliating bark, which is one of the tree's finest ornamental features.

Lagerstroemia indica is native to a broad swath of eastern and southern Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and the Indian subcontinent, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years as an ornamental tree. Historical records from China's Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) describe crape myrtles adorning imperial gardens and temple courtyards, prized for their extended summer bloom and graceful form. The species was introduced to Europe in the mid-eighteenth century, arriving in England around 1759, and was subsequently brought to the American South in the early nineteenth century, where the warm, humid climate proved ideal. Charleston, South Carolina, and Natchitoches, Louisiana, became early centers of crape myrtle cultivation, and the trees are now iconic elements of the southern landscape. Throughout the twentieth century, Dr. Donald Egolf at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., crossed Lagerstroemia indica with the Japanese species Lagerstroemia fauriei to produce hybrid cultivars with superior disease resistance, cold hardiness, and striking bark characteristics. These hybrids — named after Native American tribes such as Natchez, Tuscarora, and Muskogee — transformed crape myrtle culture by dramatically reducing susceptibility to powdery mildew. Today Lagerstroemia indica and its hybrids are planted across USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 10, from the Mid-Atlantic states through Texas and California, and are among the most widely sold ornamental trees in the United States.

Crape myrtle thrives in well-drained soil and tolerates a wide pH range from 5.5 to 7.5. It grows well in sandy, loamy, or clay soils as long as drainage is adequate. Avoid chronically wet sites where root rot becomes a problem. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer. Avoid excessive nitrogen that promotes vegetative growth at the expense of flowering. Mulch with 2 to 3 inches of organic matter to conserve moisture and suppress weeds, but keep mulch away from the trunk base.

Crape myrtle is grown purely as an ornamental and is not harvested for food. The flower panicles are sometimes cut for fresh or dried flower arrangements. Cut flower clusters when about three-quarters of the florets have opened. The exfoliating bark that peels in patches to reveal smooth, colorful underbark in shades of cinnamon, cream, gray, and pink is one of the most attractive bark displays of any landscape tree.

Fresh-cut crape myrtle flower panicles last 5 to 7 days in water. For dried arrangements, cut flower clusters at peak bloom and hang upside down in a warm, dark, well-ventilated area for 2 to 3 weeks. Dried flowers retain good color and form for several months. The attractive seed heads can also be dried for winter arrangements. Bark fragments that peel naturally from the trunk can be collected for craft projects.