The Amazing Crape Myrtle Shrubs and Plants

Crape Myrtle (Crepe Myrtle) Lagerstroemia indica has been hybridized with Lagerstroemia fauriei or Lagerstroemia speciosa by the United States Arboretum to grow outstanding Crape Myrtle (Crepe Myrtle) hybrids, all with names of Indian tribes: Tonto, a deep red flower; Miami crape myrtle, blooms late and is almost red; Tuscarora crape myrtle, flowering orange-pink; Sioux, blooming intense pink; Muscogee and Yuma crape myrtles, blooming lavender-purple flowers; Acoma and Natchez white flowered crape myrtle; and Biloxi crape myrtle, blooming soft pink. Acoma white crape myrtle blooms in June. Natchez white crape myrtle flowers two weeks later. Both Natchez and Acoma crepe myrtle trees have weeping forms resulting from heavy flowers. Tonto crepe myrtle trees (bushes) bloom bright red up to 15 feet tall. Yuma purple crape myrtle grows large, up to 20 foot tall trees, while Muscogee crape myrtle flowers are lavender-purple. Tuscarora trees (bushes) flower dark pink, almost red; Miami blooms flowers of dark pink-red late; Sioux crape myrtle flowers intense red. Crape myrtle trees and plants are easy to plant and grow, and they range in size from a dwarf 1.5 foot tall bush to giant tree crape myrtles up to 40 feet tall. Crape myrtles may be planted as a bush, hedge, or specimen tree in landscapes. The flowering period of crape myrtle trees can last for 120 days. Pruning crape myrtles increases blooming on new stems, but to prune too much is tacky.