Growing Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle)

Latin Name Pronunciation: lag-er-stro' mee-ah

Lagerstroemia is a genus of about 50 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees originating in India, Southeast Asia, and Australia, and widely cultivated in warm climates around the globe. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil as a large shrub or multi-stemmed tree. In Northerly zones, choose a sheltered location; plants may experience winter dieback but should resprout from the roots, limiting ultimate height.

Light: Crape Myrtle should be grown in full, hot sun.

Soil: Average loamy soil to clay if well-drained. An acidic pH is best; plants may experience chlorosis and be unable to take up some nutrients in alkaline soils.

Watering: Average water needs, avoid overwatering and overhead irrigation.

Fertilizing: Apply a slow-release general fertilizer in spring every few years if needed, particularly if there has been extensive winterkill. Avoid overfertilization and high-nitrogen fertilizers, which can promote lush, weak growth at the expense of flower formation.

Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to maintain natural form, encouraging growth to go upward and outward. Remove spindly, weak growth and branches that head toward the center of the tree and rub against other branches. When growing to full-sized tree form in warmer areas, some lower branches can be removed to highlight the tree’s handsome mottled bark. When you prune, always enhance the form and do not lop off thick stems at the same level to reduce height, which will result in congested, unattractive sprouting (some call this practice “crapemurder”). If top growth has been killed during a cold winter, remove dead branches and cut dead stems back to 8” in spring, once it is clear they are indeed dead.

Pests/Diseases: Older varieties can be susceptible to fungal leaf spot and powdery mildew, but newer varieties, such as those we offer, are more resistant.