💐 Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica
The South's summer-long flower show, now with exfoliating bark.
Sun
Full sun, 6–8 hrs (blooms demand it)
Days to harvest
2–3 years to full bloom power
Spacing
10–20 ft depending on mature size
Soil pH
5.5–6.5

How to grow

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil — shade means fewer flowers, period. Choose the mature size deliberately, from 3-foot dwarfs to 30-foot trees, because 'I'll just prune it' is how crepe murder happens. Speaking of which: never top a crape myrtle. Selective thinning of small branches is fine; lopping the whole top off creates ugly knuckles and weak growth.

Water & feeding

Water to establish; mature trees are quite drought tolerant. Supplemental water during extended drought keeps blooming strong.

Common problems

  • Powdery mildew (choose resistant varieties — it's largely solved by breeding)
  • Crape myrtle bark scale (white felt-like patches — treatable with systemic or horticultural oil)
  • Aphids dripping honeydew and sooty mold
  • Crepe murder (a human problem, not a plant problem — put down the chainsaw)

Harvest

No fruit — deadhead spent blooms to encourage reblooming, and remove suckers from the base. Prune in late winter: thin crossing branches, open the center, and step away.

Nerdy fact: Crape myrtle bark exfoliates in thin sheets every year, revealing smooth mottled trunks in cinnamon, cream, and gray. It's one of the few trees with genuine four-season interest: flowers in summer, fall color, sculptural bark in winter.

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