Crape Myrtles: The Showstoppers Every Garden Deserves

If you’re dreaming of a landscape that turns heads all summer long—and keeps the charm going through fall and winter—look no further than Crape Myrtles. These vibrant bloomers are famous for their months-long flower displays, eye-catching bark, and effortless grace. Whether you're working with a cozy backyard or a grand front yard, there's a Crape Myrtle perfectly sized to elevate your outdoor space.

At ShrubHub, we’re proud to offer a stunning collection of premium Crape Myrtle trees and shrubs to suit any design vision. And if you're craving more garden inspiration, don't miss our weekly blog—your go-to for expert landscaping tips, plant pairings, and outdoor upgrades that are anything but ordinary.

Why Gardeners Love Crape Myrtles

Few plants offer the all-season performance of a Crape Myrtle. From their brilliant summer blooms to their sculptural winter bark, these flowering dynamos bring something to love in every season.

Months-Long Blooms

Crape Myrtles are famous for their extended flowering period—often blooming from early summer well into the fall. Their vibrant blossoms come in a range of shades like lavender, red, white, and pink, adding a splash of color just when other plants start to fade.

Bark & Fall Foliage That Steal the Show

Beyond the blooms, Crape Myrtles feature striking, peeling bark that adds visual interest all winter long. As autumn approaches, their foliage turns fiery shades of orange, red, or yellow, offering a final curtain call of color before the cold sets in.

Built for Tough Conditions

Native to warm climates, these trees and shrubs thrive in full sun, resist drought once established, and don’t mind a little heat stress. That makes them perfect for challenging spots in your landscape where other plants may struggle.

Fits Any Garden

Whether you're working with a tight space or designing a sprawling landscape, there’s a Crape Myrtle to fit your needs. Choose dwarf varieties for small gardens or containers, or go for towering tree forms to make a bold statement.

Crape Myrtle Varieties to Know

With such a stunning range of flower colors and growth habits, choosing the right Crape Myrtle can feel like picking your favorite jewel. Here are some of the most popular and versatile varieties available at ShrubHub's Crape Myrtle Collection.

Catawba Crape Myrtle

The Catawba Crape Myrtle is a vibrant, deciduous shrub or small tree prized for its stunning clusters of deep purple blooms that appear from midsummer through fall. Known for its compact growth habit and excellent mildew resistance, this variety is perfect for adding long-lasting color to gardens, borders, or small landscapes. Its attractive exfoliating bark and rich green foliage, which turns brilliant shades of orange and red in autumn, provide multi-season interest. Hardy and drought-tolerant once established, the Catawba Crape Myrtle is a low-maintenance showstopper that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.

Enduring Lavender Crape Myrtle

The Enduring Lavender Crape Myrtle is a compact, reblooming variety that brings soft, elegant color to the landscape all season long. Its lush clusters of light lavender-purple flowers bloom repeatedly from summer into fall, creating a continuous display of charm and beauty. With a naturally rounded shape and a mature height of around 4 to 5 feet, it’s ideal for borders, foundation plantings, or as a vibrant accent in smaller spaces. This hardy, disease-resistant shrub also boasts attractive dark green foliage and excellent drought tolerance, making it both a practical and eye-catching addition to any sunny garden.

Natchez Crape Myrtle

The Natchez Crape Myrtle is a striking, fast-growing tree known for its graceful form and long-lasting display of pure white blooms. Flowering from mid-summer into early fall, it brings a fresh, elegant touch to any landscape. Its smooth, cinnamon-colored bark peels to reveal a beautiful mottled texture, adding year-round visual interest. Reaching heights of up to 20 to 30 feet, the Natchez variety is ideal for use as a shade tree, focal point, or along driveways and streets. It’s also highly resistant to mildew and thrives in full sun with well-drained soil, making it a low-maintenance yet dramatic addition to the garden.

Miami Crape Myrtle

The Miami Crape Myrtle is a vibrant, ornamental tree prized for its bold, coral-pink blooms that light up the landscape from mid-summer through fall. With its upright, multi-stemmed form and attractive exfoliating bark that reveals shades of tan and cinnamon, this variety offers beauty in every season. Typically growing 20 to 25 feet tall, the Miami Crape Myrtle makes a stunning statement as a specimen tree, street border, or anchor in larger garden beds. It's also highly resistant to powdery mildew and adapts well to heat, humidity, and urban environments, thriving in full sun with minimal maintenance.

Dynamite Crape Myrtle

The Dynamite Crape Myrtle lives up to its name with explosive clusters of rich, true red flowers that bloom from summer into early fall. This bold and eye-catching variety is one of the few crape myrtles to produce such intensely vibrant red blooms, making it a standout in any landscape. With a mature height of 15 to 20 feet, Dynamite has an upright, tree-like form and features attractive exfoliating bark and dark green foliage that transitions to fiery shades of orange and red in autumn. Drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and low-maintenance, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, bringing color and structure to gardens, streetscapes, and open spaces.

Red Rocket Crape Myrtle

The Red Rocket Crape Myrtle is a fast-growing, upright variety that delivers a dazzling display of fiery red blooms from midsummer through early fall. Known for being one of the tallest red-flowering crape myrtles, it can reach heights of up to 20 to 30 feet, making it an excellent choice for a bold focal point or a flowering privacy screen. Its deep green foliage creates a lush backdrop for the vibrant flowers, and in autumn, the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange and red. With excellent resistance to powdery mildew and the ability to thrive in full sun and a variety of soils, the Red Rocket combines beauty and resilience in one impressive package.

Sioux Crape Myrtle

The Sioux Crape Myrtle is a graceful, upright variety celebrated for its abundant soft pink blooms that appear in midsummer and last well into fall. This medium-sized tree typically reaches 15 to 20 feet tall and features attractive dark green foliage that transforms into vibrant shades of red and orange in the autumn. Its exfoliating bark adds winter interest, peeling away to reveal a smooth, mottled surface. Highly resistant to powdery mildew and drought-tolerant once established, the Sioux Crape Myrtle is a reliable and low-maintenance choice for adding long-lasting color and structure to sunny landscapes, borders, or as a stunning standalone specimen.

Tuscarora Crape Myrtle

The Tuscarora Crape Myrtle is a vibrant, heat-loving tree known for its stunning coral-pink blooms that burst into color from mid-summer through early fall. With a mature height of 20 to 25 feet, this upright variety makes a bold statement in the landscape, whether planted as a specimen tree, along a driveway, or in groupings for greater visual impact. Its dark green foliage offers a beautiful contrast to the vivid flowers and transitions to rich shades of red and orange in the fall. The Tuscarora also features striking, smooth bark and boasts excellent resistance to powdery mildew, making it a low-maintenance, high-impact addition to sunny gardens.

Growing & Caring for Crape Myrtles

Crape Myrtles are beloved not just for their show-stopping blooms, but also for being incredibly resilient and easy to maintain once established. Whether you're growing a compact shrub variety or a statuesque tree-form, follow these expert care tips to help your Crape Myrtle thrive year after year.

Planting Tips: Full Sun is Non-Negotiable

Crape Myrtles absolutely live for the sun. They require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily to produce those signature blooms. Less sun means fewer flowers and lankier growth. When choosing a planting site, go for open, sun-drenched spots away from taller trees or shady walls.

As for the soil, well-draining soil is a must. While Crape Myrtles are fairly tolerant of various soil types, they don’t appreciate soggy roots. If your soil is heavy clay, consider amending it with compost or planting in slightly raised beds to promote drainage.

Watering and Fertilizing Guidelines

When first planted, your Crape Myrtle will need consistent watering to establish strong roots—about 1 inch per week, especially during the first growing season. Once established, these beauties become incredibly drought-tolerant and only need supplemental water during extended dry spells.

Overwatering is more of a risk than underwatering. So if in doubt, let the soil dry slightly between waterings.

As for feeding, Crape Myrtles are not greedy, but a little boost can go a long way. Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer (10-10-10) in early spring as new growth appears. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers—they’ll encourage leafy growth at the expense of blooms.

Pruning Dos and Don’ts (Avoid “Crape Murder”)

Let’s address the elephant—or should we say the hatchet—in the room: “crape murder.” This is the all-too-common practice of brutally chopping the tops off mature Crape Myrtles. It may seem like a way to control size, but it leads to ugly knobby growth, weaker branches, and fewer blooms.

Do this instead:

• Prune lightly in late winter or early spring to shape your plant and remove any crossing or dead branches.

• Focus on thinning out rather than topping. Remove suckers from the base and interior clutter to allow air circulation.

• If you want to encourage more blooms, deadhead spent flower clusters in summer—many varieties will rebloom.

Less is more when it comes to pruning. Let the natural form shine!

Pest & Disease Resistance

Crape Myrtles are tough cookies—but even they have their limits. The good news? Most modern cultivars, especially those available through ShrubHub’s curated collection, are bred for excellent resistance to powdery mildew and leaf spot.

As for pests, the most common culprits are aphids and Japanese beetles, which can usually be controlled with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Keep your plants healthy and stress-free, and they’ll likely fend off most issues on their own.

Pro tip: Avoid overhead watering to help prevent fungal issues, and space your plants with proper airflow in mind.

Design Ideas: Landscaping with Crape Myrtles

Crape Myrtles are the ultimate multitaskers in the landscape. Their long bloom season, colorful bark, and graceful form make them a design dream—whether you’re crafting a cozy cottage garden or a sleek modern yard.

Statement Trees & Flowering Hedges

Plant taller varieties like Natchez or Red Rocket as stunning focal points in open spaces. Need privacy? Use bushier forms like Enduring Lavender or Sioux as vibrant living screens or borders. Their compact size and tidy growth make them ideal alternatives to traditional hedges.

Pairing Perfection

Companion planting is where Crape Myrtles really shine. Surround them with:

• Ornamental grasses for texture and movement.

• Lantana for a continuous riot of color that echoes Crape Myrtle blooms.

• Dwarf shrubs like boxwood or barberry for structure and contrast.

This mix creates layers of interest and seasonal variety while keeping maintenance low.

Versatile in Any Style

Crape Myrtles are equally at home in formal garden designs and relaxed, wildflower-inspired spaces. Their colorful flowers and sculptural forms offer structure, softness, and seasonal drama—all in one.

Why Choose ShrubHub for Your Garden Design

At ShrubHub, we make it easy to transform your yard into a show-stopping landscape that’s both beautiful and functional. Whether you’re planting one Crape Myrtle or designing a whole new garden space, we’re here to help.

Here’s why thousands of homeowners trust us:

• Premium Selection: From Dynamite to Tuscarora, our collection features only top-quality Crape Myrtles and flowering trees, delivered directly to your door.

• 3D Custom Landscape Designs: Our expert designers create stunning 3D models tailored to your space and style—including the perfect placement for your new trees and shrubs.

• Doorstep Delivery & Support: We make planting easy with fast shipping, reliable local contractors, and 24/7 customer service to guide you every step of the way.

Whether you're dreaming of a backyard retreat or a bold curb appeal upgrade, ShrubHub has the tools and plants to bring it to life—starting with the perfect Crape Myrtle.

Conclusion

Crape Myrtles offer everything a gardener could want—stunning blooms, striking bark, easy care, and endless versatility. Whether you’re creating a vibrant hedge, a dramatic focal point, or simply adding long-lasting color to your yard, these flowering favorites never disappoint.

Ready to transform your outdoor space? Explore ShrubHub’s premium collection of Crape Myrtles and discover how easy it is to bring beauty home. Don’t forget to check out our weekly blog for fresh landscaping tips, plant inspiration, and expert advice—all tailored to help your garden thrive.

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