Quick Growing and Care Guide

Scientific Name: Lagerstroemia indica

Common Name (s): Crepe myrtle

Cultivars: Cherokee (red, 3m / 11 feet); Dallas Red (Cold hardy; 6 m / 20 feet); Muskogee (lavender); Natchez (white, 7.6 m / 25 feet); Powhatan (purple, 4.5 to 6 m / 15 to 20 feet) Tuscarora (coral pink, 4.8 m / 16 feet)

Growing Zone (USA / UK Hardiness): 6 to 9 / H3

Life Cycle / Plant Type: Deciduous or evergreen. Tree, Shrub. Bushy habit.

Plant Height: 6 to 26 feet (2 to 8 m)

Plant Spread: 6 to 28 feet (2 to 8 m)

Blooms: Summer to Autumn

Flower Details: Conical panicles. Ruffled petals. White, pink, rose, red, purple.

Leaf Foliage: Oblong 8 cm / 3 inches long. Green. Juvenile leaves are bronze. Privet-like. Brown/Gray bark.

Location and Light Conditions: Full sun for best results. Prefers sheltered location. South or West facing. Grow against a wall in colder areas to help prevent damage from frost.

Suitable Soil Types: Well drained. Loam, clay, sand

Suitable Soil pH: Any

Soil Soil Moisture: Medium

Sowing, planting, and Propagation: Cultivate in a fertile soil. Sow seeds in the spring (10°C / 50°F). Grows well from cuttings (softwood: late spring; or Semi-ripe: summer.

Care: Light pruning to keep tidy and free of disease. Use a slow release fertilizer as overly fertile soils may result in greater leaf production but poorer flowering and greater vulnerability to winter damage. Susceptible to mildew and fungal diseases - resistant hybrids are available.