Crapemyrtle Lagerstroemia indica

The crepe myrtle is a favorite of many southern gardeners. (Crepe myrtle is the preferred common name in the south). The draw for this plant is that it blooms at a time when most trees are not blooming. If the plant is healthy, it will be covered with blooms that will last for months during the hottest part of the summer.

Crepe myrtles are deciduous, have a rapid growth rate, and are often seen in their multi-stemmed form. They will grow in almost any kind of soil: sand, loam or clay, although it prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sunlight. This plant is easily transplanted and is drought and alkaline tolerant, but it does have pest and disease problems. It is even possible to grow them in containers if they are watered and fertilized properly.  They will grow in partial shade; however, the best flowering will occur on plants that receive more than 6 hours of direct sun. This plant blooms from June until fall, and to promote flower bloom, it is best to trim off seed pods. Fall color is not very impressive because the tree is tropical and loses it's leaves early. This plant can be grown as a street tree with ground cover underneath, as an espalier, or as a specimen.

Crepe myrtle breeding and cultivation have produced several different colors of flowers, ranging from white to purple to every shade of red. They can be purchased for small spaces with plants that reach a mature height of 3 to 5 feet, to large shade trees reaching heights of 40 feet, and almost any size in between.

Work has been done in breeding this original crepe myrtle Lagerstroemia indica with a Japanese crepe myrtle Lagerstroemia fauriei, which features red, flaky bark and resistance to powdery mildew. Most new varieties that are on the market today are a result of this breeding program.  

Quick ID Hints:

• Twigs have decurrent ridges
• Has short petioles
• Leaves are opposite, alternate, or in whorls of 3s
• Flowers are 6-parted, anthocyanin, and have clawed petals
• Flowers with style-like staminodes
• Inflorescence is a terminal panicle
• Fruit is a dehiscent capsule, 6-valved, and brown
• Bark exfoliates, exposing hues of brown to gray

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.