Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia indica
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this
The signature small flowering tree of the South, smothered in crinkled, crepe-paper blooms of pink, white, red, or lavender for months in high summer. Smooth, mottled, peeling bark and fiery fall color give it four-season interest, and it thrives on heat that wilts other ornamentals.
Light
Crape myrtle is a sun-worshipper, and the single most important thing you can give it is full, unobstructed sun — at least six hours a day, and the more the better. Bloom is directly proportional to light: a tree in full sun is a solid mound of flower for weeks, while one tucked into part shade blooms sparsely, grows lanky reaching for light, and is far more prone to powdery mildew on its shaded, poorly aired foliage. Avoid planting on the north side of buildings or under the canopy of larger trees. Strong sun also intensifies fall color and helps the handsome bark mature. If your tree blooms weakly despite good care, too little sun is almost always the reason.Watering
A newly planted crape myrtle needs steady moisture to root in — water deeply once or twice a week through the first two growing seasons, soaking the whole root zone rather than sprinkling the surface, and more often in summer heat. A 2–3 inch mulch ring kept off the trunk conserves moisture and moderates soil temperature. Once established, crape myrtle is genuinely drought-tolerant and one of the most heat-hardy small trees you can grow, needing supplemental water only in prolonged dry spells. Avoid overhead watering that wets the leaves and feeds mildew; water at the base instead. It resents soggy ground far more than dry, so never plant it in a low spot where water collects.Soil & potting
Crape myrtle is wonderfully adaptable to soil, thriving in everything from sand to clay as long as drainage is reasonable — the one condition it won't tolerate is constantly wet feet, which invites root rot. It prefers a slightly acidic to neutral pH but performs in alkaline soils too. Average fertility suits it best; overly rich, heavily amended ground pushes lush leaves at the expense of flowers. On heavy clay, plant slightly high with the root flare at or just above grade and backfill with native soil rather than bagged amendments. Good drainage matters more than fertility here, so improve a boggy site with raised planting before reaching for fertilizer.Humidity & temperature
Crape myrtle is the tree of the hot, humid South, hardy through USDA Zones 7–9 and reliably so in 6 with shelter, where it shrugs off blazing summers that flatten other ornamentals. The trade-off is cold: hard winters in Zone 6 and colder can kill it to the ground, though established plants often resprout vigorously from the roots and bloom the same summer, since it flowers on new wood. Choose cold-hardy cultivars at the northern edge of the range and site them out of harsh winter wind. It needs the long, hot summers of its zones to set a heavy bloom — in cool, short-summer climates it grows but flowers grudgingly.Fertilizing
Crape myrtle is a light feeder, and restraint pays off — too much nitrogen produces a leafy, floppy plant with few flowers and more disease. For young or weak-growing trees, apply a balanced or slightly higher-phosphorus slow-release fertilizer once in early spring as new growth begins, scattered over the root zone and watered in. Established trees in decent soil often need nothing more than a yearly topdressing of compost or mulch. Never feed after midsummer, as late soft growth won't harden before frost and is prone to winter damage. If a tree blooms poorly, suspect shade or over-pruning before reaching for fertilizer — feeding is rarely the fix.Pruning & maintenance
Crape myrtle blooms on new wood, so prune in late winter while dormant. The cardinal rule is restraint: avoid the topping butchery known as "crape murder," which leaves ugly knuckled stubs, weak whip growth, and a ruined natural form. Instead, remove suckers from the base, crossing or rubbing branches, and any dead or spindly twiggy growth, and thin the interior to show off the beautiful mottled bark and improve airflow against mildew. Limb up multi-trunked trees gradually to reveal the trunks. Choosing a cultivar sized to its space avoids the urge to hack it back at all — the most elegant crape myrtles are barely pruned. Always cut just above a bud or branch collar with clean, sharp tools.Propagation
Crape myrtle grows readily from softwood or hardwood cuttings, which is the surest way to reproduce a named cultivar true to its flower color and form. Take 6–8 inch softwood cuttings in early summer, dip the base in rooting hormone, and root in a moist, well-drained mix under high humidity; hardwood cuttings taken in winter root too. It also grows from seed — collect the round capsules in fall and sow the tiny seeds the following spring — but seedlings vary in color and won't match the parent. For most gardeners a young nursery-grown plant set out in spring is the simplest start; water it attentively through its first season to establish.Common problems
Through the year
Spring
New growth and bloom buds form on the season's wood — finish any pruning before bud-break, mulch and water young trees, and apply a single light feeding only if growth is weak.
Summer
The headline season: weeks of crepe-paper flowers in full heat. Deadhead spent clusters to encourage rebloom, water deeply in drought, and watch shaded foliage for powdery mildew.
Fall
Foliage turns vivid orange, red, or yellow and seed capsules form; collect seed now if propagating, and ease off watering as the tree prepares for dormancy.
Winter
Dormant — the ideal time to prune lightly and show off the smooth, peeling, multicolored bark. Protect young or marginal-zone trees from hard freezes; established ones resprout if killed back.
Companion planting
Underplant with sun-loving perennials and groundcovers that enjoy the same heat — daylilies, salvia, lantana, and ornamental grasses pair beautifully beneath crape myrtle, while a low carpet of liriope or creeping phlox tidies the base and hides any sucker growth.
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