Tree · Lythraceae
Crepe Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica
Give it full sun and a light touch with the pruners, and the crepe myrtle blooms all summer and peels into handsome winter bark.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–9
15–25 ft · 4.6–7.6 m
Overview
Few trees carry a southern summer like the crepe myrtle. It throws up crinkled, crepe-paper flowers from July into September in white, pink, lavender, and deep red, then sheds its bark in winter to show smooth, mottled wood underneath. Fast-growing and tough, it handles heat, drought, and a wide range of soils once it has settled in.
This is a plant for sun and space. Mature trees can run anywhere from 15 to 25 feet tall and spread nearly as wide, so it earns its old nickname, the lilac of the south, by filling a yard with color where true lilacs won't grow. Give it room to reach its natural shape and it needs very little from you after that.
The biggest mistake people make is fussing over it. A crepe myrtle blooms hard on its own and asks only for sun, decent drainage, and the occasional light prune. Leave the hard chopping alone and you get a graceful small tree instead of a knuckled stump.
Care
The short version: full sun, well-drained soil, and a deep soak only while the tree is young. Prune lightly in late winter to shape it, skip the heavy nitrogen, and let air move through the canopy to keep mildew and scale at bay.
Light
Plant a crepe myrtle in full sun, ideally 6 or more hours a day. It tolerates a little shade but pays for it with fewer flowers and far more powdery mildew, so the sunnier the spot the better.
Water
Water a young tree regularly through its first year to get the roots down. After that it's heat- and drought-tolerant and rarely needs help, asking for a deep soak only during a long dry spell. A good rule is to let the top half of the soil dry between waterings.
Soil
This tree isn't picky about soil. It grows in clay, loam, sand, or shallow rocky ground as long as it drains well, and it handles a wide pH range from 5.0 to 8.0, so most yards suit it without amendment.
Temperature
Crepe myrtle is built for the South and shrugs off summer heat up to 100°F (38°C). It's hardy down to about -9°F (-23°C), which keeps it reliable through zone 6, though a hard winter may kill the top and force fresh growth from the base.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is no concern, so there's no number to hit. What does matter is airflow, since still, damp air around crowded branches is what invites powdery mildew and leaf spot.
Feeding
Feed in spring with a balanced fertilizer, and lean on a soil test to know what the ground actually lacks. Go easy on the nitrogen, because too much pushes leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
Pruning
Prune lightly in late winter or early spring. Take out crossing limbs, suckers, and old seed heads, and limb up the lower branches over time to build a clean tree shape. Never top it hard, which ruins the form and forces weak regrowth.
Repotting
Crepe myrtle is a landscape tree and rarely lives in a pot for long. A container-grown one needs repotting only occasionally, and signs it's overdue are roots circling the drainage holes and soil that dries out almost as fast as you water it.
Size & spacing
Expect a mature tree of roughly 15 to 25 feet (4.5 to 7.5 m) tall with a spread to match. Give it the full width to grow into so air moves freely through the canopy and disease has a harder time taking hold.
When to plant
Crepe myrtle is hardy from zone 6 through 9 and runs on the warm season. Plant a new tree in spring or fall so the roots settle before the heat or the cold, then enjoy the flowers from July through September.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or fall
- Harvest: July to September
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–9
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
Most crepe myrtle trouble is fungal or insect-driven, and it shows up first on the leaves or the bark. Catch it early and a quick fix usually keeps the tree blooming. Match what you see below, then act before it spreads through the canopy.
White powdery film on leaves and buds that won't open
This is powdery mildew, a fungus that flares in the mild, damp stretches of spring and fall and can keep buds from ever opening. Open the plant up to sun and moving air, clear out the crowded basal sprouts, and reach for a labeled fungicide only if it gets out of hand.
Fix:
- Site in full sun with good air circulation
- Remove basal sprouts and crowded growth to improve airflow
- Apply a labeled fungicide such as myclobutanil, propiconazole, or thiophanate-methyl if severe
Yellow spots on the leaves with late-summer drop
Small yellow spots that show up in warm, muggy weather point to Cercospora leaf spot, which can strip a tree of leaves by late summer. Keep water off the foliage, give the canopy room to breathe, and rake up the fallen leaves so the fungus has nowhere to overwinter.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation and avoid wetting foliage
- Rake and remove fallen infected leaves
- Apply thiophanate-methyl or myclobutanil if needed
Felty white crusts on the bark that bleed pink when pressed
White, felt-like bumps coating the trunk and limbs are crapemyrtle bark scale, and crushing one releases a telltale pink fluid. The insects pump out honeydew that turns the whole tree black with sooty mold. Scrub the bark with mild soapy water and a soft brush to lift the scale and grime, then time a systemic soil drench in spring and a dormant oil spray in late winter to break the cycle.
Fix:
- Wash trunk and branches with mild soapy water and a soft brush to remove scale and mold
- Apply a systemic soil drench (e.g., imidacloprid) in spring per label
- Use dormant horticultural oil sprays in late winter
Sticky leaves turning black with a sooty film
The sticky coating is honeydew from crape myrtle aphids feeding on the undersides of the leaves, and the black sooty mold is a harmless fungus living on that sugar. Blast the aphids off with a hard jet of water, follow up with insecticidal soap or neem oil, and let lady beetles and lacewings finish the job. Knock back the aphids and the black film clears on its own.
Fix:
- Spray plants with a strong stream of water to dislodge aphids
- Use insecticidal soap or horticultural/neem oil
- Encourage predators such as lady beetles and lacewings
Toxicity
Good news for pet owners and parents: crepe myrtle is safe all around. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and there's no known danger to other animals or people. The only mess to expect is fallen petals staining a walkway or car.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
The ASPCA lists crepe myrtle as non-toxic to cats, so a curious nibble on a leaf or fallen bloom is nothing to worry about.
Dogs None
Dogs can mouth the leaves, flowers, or bark without harm. It's safe if your dog chews on a low branch, though a big helping of any plant may pass an upset stomach.
Horses None
Horses grazing near a crepe myrtle are fine. The plant is not poisonous to horses, and no special fencing is called for.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits face no risk from the leaves or stems. The plant carries no known toxin, so a stray bite won't hurt them.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can browse around a crepe myrtle without trouble, since the foliage holds nothing toxic to them.
Birds Safe
Backyard and wild birds are in no danger here. They often pick at the seed capsules, and the plant is safe for them.
People Safe
Crepe myrtle is harmless to people, including children. None of its parts are a known food, so there's no reason to eat it, but a tasted petal or leaf does no harm.
No special toxicity precautions are needed; fallen flowers may stain walkways or vehicles.
Varieties
Hundreds of crepe myrtles are sold, but the best garden picks are the disease-resistant hybrids. These four turn up again and again for good reason.
Natchez
A vigorous indica and fauriei hybrid that reaches about 30 feet, with white flowers, cinnamon-brown bark that peels in winter, and strong resistance to powdery mildew.
Muskogee
Another indica and fauriei hybrid topping 20 feet, prized for light lavender flowers, a long bloom season, and good mildew resistance.
Tuscarora
An indica and fauriei hybrid carrying coral-pink to dark pink flowers, with solid resistance to both powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.
Sioux
A mildew-resistant indica and fauriei hybrid that pairs bright pink summer flowers with standout red-purple color in fall.
How to propagate
Crepe myrtle multiplies several ways, and which you choose depends on whether you want an exact copy of a named tree or don't mind a surprise.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Softwood cuttings in late spring to summer; hardwood cuttings in winter · 4 to 8 weeks to root
Cuttings are the surest way to copy a named cultivar, since the new plant matches its parent exactly. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or summer, or hardwood cuttings over winter, and expect roots in 4 to 8 weeks.
SeedModerate
Collect ripe seed in fall and sow · One or more seasons
Gather the ripe seed capsules in fall and sow them, but know that seedlings come up variable and won't match a named cultivar. Be patient, as a seed-grown plant takes a season or more to amount to anything.
LayeringModerate
Growing season · Several months
If a branch sits low enough, you can pin it to the ground during the growing season and let it root in place. Layering takes several months, after which you cut the new plant free from its parent.
Myths
Crepe myrtles need a hard yearly chop, the so-called crepe murder, to bloom well.
Topping a crepe myrtle does nothing for its flowers and a lot of damage to its shape. The tree blooms heavily on its own, while severe cuts wreck the graceful form and force out weak, whippy regrowth. A light shaping in late winter is all it ever needs.