The crape myrtle (or crepe myrtle) has been called the perfect Texas landscape plant. It comes in a variety of sizes—from groundcover all the way up to a 35 ft tree. It produces clusters of glorious blooms. It’s disease resistant, drought tolerant, and grows fast in just about any soil type. And even the crape myrtle bark comes in beautiful shades of gray and brown, which makes for an attractive plant even in the winter.
Crape Myrtles Can Bloom Throughout the Summer
The first flowers appear at the beginning of summer and can continue to bloom into September, depending on the variety. Some varieties can even be stimulated to bloom a second time during the summer by cutting off the fruit. Flowers come in shades of pink, red or lavender and white.
Crape Myrtles Are Hardy, Low Maintenance Trees
Crape myrtles are hardy trees that require little maintenance, if planted properly. They thrive in spaces with full sun, well-drained soil, and sufficient air flow.
From time to time, a tree might become infested by aphids. If so, this is not usually life-threatening to a healthy tree. It just looks like the stems are dirty or covered in soot. (For more information on “sooty mold” and how to remove it, please see our article on the topic.)
Large crape myrtles should be pruned as you would any tree. Smaller varieties should be treated like a bush and only needed minor pruning.
Cutting the tops off large crape myrtles is known as “crape murder,” and rightly so. Removing large portions of the stems is harmful to the tree and does not encourage the growth of strong, healthy branches. “Crape murder” reduces flower production and will cause the tree to be more susceptible to disease.
Selecting a Crape Myrtle for Your Landscape
Recommended crape myrtle varieties for North Texas include, but are not limited to, the following size categories:
Dwarf (3 to 5 ft)
- Centennial (purple flowers)
- Petite snow (white flowers)
- Red embers (red flowers)
Intermediate and Medium (5 to 20 ft)
- Zuni (purple flowers, 10ft max)
- White Chocolate (white flowers, 10 ft max)
- Seminole (pink flowers, 20 ft max)
- Dynamite (red flowers, 20 ft max)
Tall (up to 35 ft)
- Twilight (purple flowers)
- Kiowa (white flowers)
- Arapaho (red flowers)
- Choctaw (pink flowers)
For more information on selecting and planting the right crape myrtle for your landscape, please contact our Plant Health Care arborists.
