Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Summary

Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf

Height: 4 to 25 feet (depending on cultivar) Spread: 5 to 20 feet (depending on cultivar) Shape: Upright or mound (depending on cultivar)

Glossy, dark green foliage turns yellow, orange, and red in fall. Flowers may be white, pink, red, or purple. Exfoliating bark is ornamental.

Plant Needs

Zone: 6b (6a) to 9

Light: Partial shade to full sun

Moisture: Moist to dry

Soil Type: Sandy, loam, or clay

pH Range: 4.5 to 7.3

Functions

Suggested uses for this plant include border and specimen plant.

Planting Notes

Good soil drainage is required.

To minimize pruning, select a cultivar with a mature size that fits the chosen space.

Care

Prune dead wood from the plant in the spring. Because much of the beauty of this species comes from this species’ very handsome exfoliating trunks, topping (or major pruning) the main branches is strongly discouraged because it ruins the plant’s natural beauty. If such pruning is necessary, then you have selected an inappropriate cultivar whose mature size does not match that of the site dimensions. This type of pruning has been

metaphorically and colloquially called “crape murder.”

Problems

Susceptible to many problems such as powdery mildew, black spot, tip blight, Cercospera leaf spot, aphid, root rot, and Florida wax scale, although pest problems occur relatively infrequently. Powdery mildew resistant cultivars are available.

A portion or the entire stem/trunk structure of crapemyrtle may die in zones 6a or 5. Cold- hardy varieties have been introduced (discussed below).

Cultivars

Consult local garden centers, and historic or public gardens and arboreta, regarding cultivars and related species that grow well in your area.