Lagerstroemia

 ( Lythraceae Genera ) 

Lagerstroemia (), commonly known as crape myrtle (also commonly spelled crepe myrtle, crape-myrtle, or crapemyrtle), is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. It is a member of the family Lythraceae, which is also known as the loosestrife family. These flowering trees are beautifully colored and are often planted both privately and commercially as ornamentals.

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Etymology The genus Lagerstroemia was first described by Carl Linnaeus. It is named after Swedish merchant , a director of the Swedish East India Company, who supplied Linnaeus with plants he collected.

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Description Crape myrtles are chiefly known for their colorful and long-lasting flowers, which occur in summer. Most species of Lagerstroemia have sinewy, fluted stems and branches with a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year. Its leaves come in pairs, one located directly across from the other on the stem, each leaf consisting of a single smooth-edged blade, varying in size from . While all species are woody in nature, they can range in height from over to under ; most, however, are small to medium, multiple-trunked trees and shrubs. The leaves of temperate species provide autumn color.

Flowers are produced in summer and autumn in of crinkled flowers. This crinkled appearance of its flowers is the source of its name: a "crape" being a historically common mourning bonnet with a distinctively crisp and crimped appearance. Colors vary from deep purple to red to white, with almost every shade in between. Although no blue-flowered varieties exist, the flowers trend toward the blue end of the spectrum with no orange or yellow except in stamens and pistils. The fruit is a capsule, green and succulent at first, then ripening to dark brown or black dryness. It splits along six or seven lines, producing teeth much like those of the calyx, and releases numerous, small, winged seeds.

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Species Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online: Lagerstroemia L. (retrieved 21 July 2025) currently (2025) includes:

1. Lagerstroemia amabilis
2. Lagerstroemia anhuiensis
3. Lagerstroemia balansae
4. Lagerstroemia calyculata
5. Lagerstroemia caudata
6. Lagerstroemia celebica
7. Lagerstroemia densa
8. Lagerstroemia densiflora
9. Lagerstroemia duperreana
10. Lagerstroemia engleriana
11. Lagerstroemia excelsa
12. Lagerstroemia floribunda
13. Lagerstroemia fordii
14. Lagerstroemia gagnepainii
15. Lagerstroemia glabra
16. Lagerstroemia guilinensis
17. Lagerstroemia huamotensis
18. Lagerstroemia hypoleuca
19. Lagerstroemia indica - type species
20. Lagerstroemia kratiensis
21. Lagerstroemia langkawiensis
22. Lagerstroemia lecomtei
23. Lagerstroemia limii
24. Lagerstroemia loudonii
25. Lagerstroemia macrocarpa
26. Lagerstroemia menglaensis
27. Lagerstroemia micrantha
28. Lagerstroemia microcarpa
29. Lagerstroemia minuticarpa
30. Lagerstroemia noei
31. Lagerstroemia ovalifolia
32. Lagerstroemia paniculata
33. Lagerstroemia parviflora
34. Lagerstroemia petiolaris
35. Lagerstroemia poilanei
36. Lagerstroemia pterosepala
37. Lagerstroemia pustulata
38. Lagerstroemia ruffordii
39. Lagerstroemia speciosa
40. Lagerstroemia spireana
41. Lagerstroemia stenophylla
42. Lagerstroemia subangulata
43. Lagerstroemia subcostata
44. Lagerstroemia suprareticulata
45. Lagerstroemia tomentosa
46. Lagerstroemia undulata
47. Lagerstroemia vanosii
48. Lagerstroemia venusta
49. Lagerstroemia villosa

Hybrids

• Lagerstroemia indica × fauriei – a hybrid originating in the U.S. National Arboretum's breeding programs of the mid-20th century

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Ecology Lagerstroemia species are used as food plants by the of some Lepidoptera (moth and butterfly) species, including Endoclita malabaricus.

The leaves of L. parviflora are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth, which produces the tassar silk, a form of wild silk of commercial importance in India.

Crape myrtles are susceptible to several pests and diseases, most notably, fungus-caused powdery mildew, and more recently, bark scale, caused by leaving a black dark fungal infection in their wake.

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Uses In their respective climates, both subtropical and tropical species are common in domestic and commercial landscapes. The lumber of some species has been used to manufacture bridges, furniture, and , but in Vietnam's Cát Tiên National Park, the dominant stands of Lagerstroemia calyculata in secondary forest are thought to have survived (after episodes of logging) due to the low quality of wood.

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Cultivation Certain species of crape myrtle are used in landscaping and gardening as screens, lawn specimens, shrub borders, and container plants. Since crape myrtles are found in many places, opinions differ as to how to cultivate them in landscaping. Crape myrtles are best cultivated in warmer southern climates, U.S. zones 7–9, and prefer full sun. They occur in a variety of flowering colors and size.

Crape myrtles might have been considered messy in the past, but their seedpods cannot stain concrete, so are best planted near swimming pools, decks, and sidewalks.

The common crape myrtle ( L. indica) from China and Korea was introduced 1790 to Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States, by French botanist André Michaux. In the wild, the species is most often found as a multiple-stemmed, large shrub, but 200 years of cultivation have resulted in a huge number of cultivars of widely varying characteristics. Today, crape myrtle varieties can fulfill many landscaping needs, from tidy street trees to dense barrier hedges to fast-growing dwarf types of less than , which can go from seed to bloom in a season (allowing gardeners in places where the plant is not winter-hardy to still enjoy the intense colors of the frilly flowers). In Europe, crape myrtle is common in the south of France, the Iberian Peninsula, and most of Italy; in the United States, it is an iconic plant of gardens across the Southern United States. It has been cultivated in many parts of Australia, but is most common in the areas of the country with a Mediterranean climate such as the south-east and west. While not as widely known, the Japanese crape myrtle, L. fauriei, from central and southern Japan, is becoming increasingly important, both as a landscaping plant and as a parent in complex hybrids with L. indica. This species is distinctly tree-like, with colorful, deciduous bark and dark green leaves, which are more resistant to fungal diseases than are those of its more popular relative. The Japanese name for this tree is literally "monkey slip", latter spelling ateji, which refers to the smooth, slippery bark. Flowers are as large as those of L. indica, but are white with only the slightest pink flush appearing in some individuals. Japanese crape myrtle is hardier to cold than many strains of L. indica, a characteristic (along with fungal resistance, tree form, and colorful bark) that makes it valuable as genetic material for hybridization. Cultivars available include 'Kiowa', 'Fantasy', and 'Townhouse'.

L. speciosa, known as queen crape myrtle, giant crape myrtle, or banabá, originates in subtropical and tropical India. It can be grown in any similar climate, but in the United States is suitable only for Florida, southernmost Texas, South Louisiana, coastal southern California, and Hawaii. It is a large evergreen tree with colorful rosy-mauve flowers and striking white bark, suitable for public parks and avenues; only the seed-grown species is commonly available for sale, unlike L. indica and L. fauriei, which have dozens of cultivars.

CrapeMyrtleSummer.jpg|Crape myrtle during summer in Sombrerete, Mexico CrapeMyrtleFall.jpg|Same tree during fall

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Further reading

• Flora, The Gardeners' Bible, ABC Publishing, Ultimo, NSW, Australia, 2006

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External links

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