Common Crape Myrtle or Crepe Myrtle               la-ger-STRO-me-a IN-di-ka

• Broadleaf deciduous tree/shrub, 3-15+ ft (0.9-4.5 m) depending upon the clone, upright.   Peeling bark, pale brown to gray, is an attractive winter feature.   Leaves simple, opposite, or the upper ones alternate or in whorls of three, 2.5-7.5 cm long, margin entire, elliptic or obovate to oblong, dark green, usually with a slight gloss.  Clusters (panicles), 15-20 cm long x 7.5-13 cm wide, of bright flowers, with crumpled petals (like crepe paper or crape), on end of branches in summer (current season's growth).  Many cultivars with flowers colors that range from white, pink, purple, to deep red.
• Full sun, moist well-drained soil; when established, irrigate infrequently but deeply.  Prefers hot, sunny climates (e.g., southeastern US) where it blooms in summer, but in the Pacific Northwest it blooms in late summer or some selections not at all in very cool summers.  Mildew is a serious problem.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 7      Native to China and Korea.  There are many cultivars and hybrids, Sunset Western Garden Book lists 15 and Dirr (1998) gives brief descriptions of over 60.
• Lagerstroemia faurei (FAR-ee-i) is more cold hardy and this characteristic was transferred to the many L. indica x L. faurei cultivars released by the U.S. National Arboretum.
• indica: of India
• The common name is sometimes spelt Crape Myrtle, but the "traditional Southern spelling" is Crepe Myrtle.
• In 1997 the Texas legislature designated the Crape myrtle as the official Texas state shrub.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: Hort. garden west of Cordley (dwarf form).