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Taxon
Lagerstroemia
indica
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Common name:
crape myrtle, crepe myrtle, crepe flower
Family:
Lythraceae (Loosestrife)
Distribution:
Eastern Asia, Indo-China
Habitat:
Medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun
Hardiness:
0 - 30 F
Life form:
Deciduous tree
Fall color:
Yellow, orange, red
Foliage characteristics:
Alternate, simple, thick and leathery oblong leaves emerge light green with slight red and mature to dark green. 3" long.
Fruit characteristics:
Round seed capsules which persist into winter.
Bloom Time:
July to September
Bark characteristics:
Smooth, pale, pinkish-gray bark exfoliates with age.
Average height:
6-30'
Structure:
Vase
Bloom characteristics:
Terminal inflorescences of showy flowers with crimped petals bloom on upright branches.
Key ID characteristics:
Long bloom period, exfoliating bark, excellent fall color.
Description:
This ornamental flowering tree is a very common street tree in the south, planted in what seems to be every spare patch of land. While prodigious, crepe myrtles do add what feels like an ever-blooming pop of color to the landscape through humid summers.
Links:
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
•
US Forest Service Fact Sheet
•
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Locations
1:
Enid A. Haupt Garden
(HAUPT)
• Accession: 2011-0558*A
2:
Enid A. Haupt Garden
(HAUPT)
• Accession: 2011-0559*A
3:
Enid A. Haupt Garden
(HAUPT)
• Accession: 2011-0560*A
4:
Enid A. Haupt Garden
(HAUPT)
• Accession: 2011-0562*A
5:
National Museum of American History
(NMAH)
• Accession: 2013-0654*A • Provenance: From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
6:
National Museum of American History
(NMAH)
• Accession: 2013-0655*A • Provenance: From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
Area
Individual