Last updated on March 28th, 2025 at 04:33 pm
Landscaping with Crape Myrtles. These magnificent trees love full sun and rich loamy soil, they like humidity and can tolerate the Southwestern heat. Providing they get plenty of water when first planted. They do like circulation, so be sure to plant them away from other heavy foliage trees or plants.
Newly planted Crape Myrtles need lots of water, preferably twice a day in the desert southwest is good. Once in the early mornings and again before sunset. Be sure to apply ample mulch around the plant to hold in moisture. This should be done during the first 3 years after initial planting.
If leaves start to turn a yellowish color, add fertilizer with iron or apply about 1/2 cup of “IRONITE” to the shrub. Be sure to prune off the old seed head to extend the blooming season. Prune any dead wood as it appears at any time of the year. You can keep its natural shape as you prune when the plant is leafless.
Crape Myrtle Photos and Descriptions
Be sure to feed your plant regularly with a water-soluble fertilizer such as Grow More’s professional 20-20-20 analysis. This will keep your leaves healthy-looking and add great color to your blossoms.
There are many varieties of Crape Myrtles available at Color Your World Nurseries. Below are some of the more common ones. Here are photos and descriptions of many types of Crape Myrtles.
Enduring Summer™ Red Crape Myrtle
A Crape Myrtle that will bloom from early summer until late fall. Stunning dark red flowers with clusters that will make your neighbors want to know where you got them. Glossy dark green foliage will then turn a burgundy red in fall. Will do well in a container specimen, in the landscape as a single accent, or in groupings. Drought-tolerant plant and disease-resistant. It is a shorter Crape Myrtle, about 5 ft. tall and wide, great for smaller landscape yards.
Landscaping with Crape Myrtles
Crape Myrtle Photos and Descriptions
The Tuscarora Crape Myrtle – Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Tuscarora’
Bright Coral Pink Blooms. They start blooming around May and will last until August. Make them bloom longer by pruning off the expired blooms. Give them lots of water when first planted.
Moderate watering after the third year of growth. The foliage will turn a nice reddish color for fall time. Grows to about 15 ft. tall and wide. It loves full southwest hot sunlight.
Crape Myrtles for the Southwest
Dynamite Red – Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit II’ Attractive ornamental shrub or small tree with smooth, peeling bark. Showy, ruffled, fire-red flowers bloom all summer followed by vibrant orange-red fall foliage.
Excellent stand-alone specimen or plant in groups for an explosion of color in the landscape and year-round interest. They thrive in full sun and are deciduous. Moderate growth 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Water daily for the first 2 weeks after planting. The Dynamite crape myrtle will tolerate less watering after the third year of growth.
Catawba Crape myrtle – Lagerstroemia indica ‘Catawba’. Displays large, long-lasting clusters of dark purple crepe-like flowers in summer—handsome foliage with a bronze cast in spring, bright green in summer, and orange-red fall color.
Mildew resistant. Deciduous. Full sun. Moderate-growing to a rounded dome 15 ft tall, 14 ft wide. Landscaping with Crape Myrtles.
Muskogee Crape Myrtle – Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Muskogee’
Numerous bright light lavender-pink flowers appear amid glossy green foliage that turns red in fall. The cinnamon-colored bark is smooth, peeling to a shiny light gray. A large shrub or small tree that makes an excellent specimen or group planting. This Crape Myrtle is the hardiest of them all. It can easily be trimmed into a tree or left alone, making it a large bush. Grows about 20ft. tall and 15ft. wide.
The Ebony Fire Crape Myrtle
It produces crimson, almost black foliage and gorgeous, bright red flowers. It will lose its leaves in winter but will regenerate new growth in late mid-April. It likes lots of water in the first 3-4 years after initial planting, but can tolerate less water once it becomes established. This Crape Myrtle will bloom from about mid-summer until mid-fall. Prune off the expired blooms for a new burst of flowers.
The growth rate is about 10-12 ft. tall and about 8 ft. wide. It is considered a medium-sized crape myrtle perfect for a small backyard. The USDA zone for this plant is 7-9.
Tuscarora Crape Myrtles
My personal favorite is the Tuscarora Myrtles. Beautiful, dark pink flowers on this tree. It tolerates the cold and is more hearty than other crape myrtles. This one will also bloom longer, especially if you prune off the expired seed pods. It will grow into a nice small-sized tree about 12-15 ft. tall and 8 ft. wide. Plant two or three in a row for a massive explosion of dark pink color in late spring until about mid-summer.
Grows in USDA zones 6-9
The Natchez Crape Myrtle
The White Natchez crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’) is a fast-growing tree. It can grow about 25-35 tall and will bloom from late spring until mid-October. It can tolerate poor soil but will do better with good loamy composted soil mixed with the native soil. Drought tolerant once established, but best to leave on a drip system during the mid-summer heat.
USDA zone 7-9.
Petite Plum Crape Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica ‘Monum’ is another smaller Crape Myrtle that is perfect for a small landscaping area. Dwarf, upright, branched shrub topped by a profusion of plum, crepe-like blooms in the heat of summer. Grows to 5 – 7ft. tall and wide. A good specimen to use in a large container. You can see photos of the Crape Myrtles over at Monrovia.com.
Problems with Crape Myrtles
Powdery Mildew is a fungus that will infect these plants. Too much shade and water overspray are the main causes. A white powdery substance will cover the buds, making them hard to open. The leaves will also show signs of stress. The solution is to spray with a good plant fungus spray. Neem Oil is a good organic alternative, it should be applied about three or four times before you start to see results.
Crape Myrtles are hardy plants, and insects rarely attack them. But on occasion, there is an Aphid that will attack the foliage. You will find them underneath the leaves of the plants and these insects will suck on the stems and leaves leaving an indention and a yellow spot. Spray with neem oil to kill this Crape Myrtle Insect. Crape Myrtles are NOT toxic to cats and dogs.
Landscaping with Crape Myrtles
Are they Crepe or Crape Myrtles?
The truth is, you can use both spellings. You can read more right here. Spelling Crepe/Crape Myrtles.
Which Crepe/Crape Myrtle is your favorite?
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If you have any questions or enjoyed this post, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Do you carry any Muskogee Crepe myrtles? I live in El Paso and have Dallas reds, Muskogee and Tuscarora. Only the Muskogee have matured and grown well. Do you carry the fertilizer? I can make a quick run up from El Paso
Yes Carlos, we do carry Muskogee Crape or Crepe myrtles. We have them in both locations. Click here for address locations.
Hello. I wanted to buy a crape myrtle but my doubt is if it needs plants and grass around it to grow well. I don’t have any grass. I live in a desértic habitat here near El Paso Texas
Hello Cynthia. You do not need to have grass or other plants around any Crape Myrtle. It needs plenty of water the first 2-3 years after initial planting. Fertilize at least once in spring, summer, and fall. Use good composted soil that will mix well with your native soil.
Thank you for the information on Crepe Myrtles. I planted one in my yard mid-November. It’s a white Crepe Myrtle. I noticed you did not mention those in your article. What kind of care does it need? Different from the pink, red ones you reported on?
Hello, Stella and thank for your comment. The white Crepe Myrtle is a Natchez variety and will get about 30 ft. tall and wide. The white blooms will last from late spring to mid-October. The care are about the same as other crape Myrtles. Landscaping with Crape Myrtles.
In love with Crape Myrtles! That row of Tuscarora is perfect! Love it!
Thanks, the wall of Tuscarora Crape Myrtles are in front of our store.
Hello, thank you for this wonderful article on Crepe Myrtles.
Along our driveway are 10 Stella Del Oro daylilies which bloom twice a year, but as soon as the summer heat hits, they die back down. Our gardener suggested planting crêpe myrtles in between the Stella de Oros after we asked him for help.
Since then, we have researched and it was just by wonderment that your article came across my email. We don’t want the crêpe myrtles to be huge like trees. We just want them to canopy enough to shade the Daylilies, perhaps 4 feet or so. We liked the idea after doing research and we also liked the idea that their leaves can turn red in the fall although I don’t know if all CMs can do this. Is there a crêpe myrtle that you would recommend for this east facing border?
Then, after reading your article, I understand that they need a lot of water for the first three years or so would that be too much water for the daylilies? I have fallen in love with crêpe but is there another plant that may be with better suit our need here?
Thank you so very much!
Hello, Chris. Try the Enduring Red Crape Myrtle they only get five ft. tall. and wide. And yes, they do like consistent watering during the first 3 years of planting them. There is also the Petite Orchid Crape myrtle, basically the same size.
The Catawba Crape myrtle is another beauty it grows about 10-15 feet tall but blooms almost all spring and summer long. Depending on how many Daylilies you have in that area, you might need one tree.
Also, all Crape Myrtles foliage will turn red/bronze color in the fall. Daylilies can take a lot of water as long as they are not soggy all day long.
It’s important to note that too much shade on daylilies and they may not bloom as often.
Thank you so much for answering my questions. This gives me options and we love options! As I’m doing more research, I’m noticing that we could cut the crape myrtles back every year to keep them small, but I’m thinking if we do that, then they may branch out too wide for the space.
Your comment about shading the daylilies too much was something I hadn’t thought about, so thank you for that thoughtful answer.
This heat is harsh so maybe instead of a crape myrtle in between each daylily plants, which would be eight in total, maybe one every other daylily might work. And since the Stella de Oro daylilies are a beautiful yellow, any of those colors would work. We’re going to have Jasmine climbing up a trellis at the end of this driveway against the house so the white is the only other color that’s there and of course the leaves are green throughout the year.
I’ll research each of your suggestions.
Again, thank you so much for your thoughtful response.
Chris
You are welcome Chris.