A Guide To Crepe Myrtle Varieties

Nothing says summer in the South like crepe myrtles. Found in many shapes, sizes, and varieties, their arching branches make them a mainstay for framing many a courtyard. The tree loves heat and humidity, tolerates drought, and grows quickly. Unlike the azalea, camellia, and gardenia, which pine for acid soil, crepe myrtle (Lythraceae) flourishes just about everywhere. No wonder it ranks as the South’s most popular (and coveted) ornamental tree.

Unfortunately, these beautiful trees are also victims of some serious crime. Every year in late winter and spring well-meaning but unaware homeowners chop them down to thick, ugly stumps (a crime known as «crepe murder»). Their motive? They likely bought a crepe myrtle only for its color without checking how big the plant will get. So when it inevitably blocks the upstairs windows just a few years after planting, out comes Angry Homeowner wielding the pruning saw.

Let’s put a stop to this terrible practice now by choosing crepe myrtles by color and size, and we’re here to help. Below you’ll find a guide to crepe myrtle heights with info on their summer bloom color and fall leaf color as well. (As gorgeous as their summer blooms are, just wait until you see a crepe myrtle in full fall mode. Orange, red, and yellow foliage replaces the brilliant blooms for an outstanding autumn show.)

How Tall do Crepe Myrtles Get?

Crepe myrtles—or crape myrtles and crapemyrtles if you prefer—range in size from dwarf selections that grow less than 3 feet tall to several large varieties that reach upwards of 30 feet. Knowing the mature height of a plant before you buy it and planting the proper size for the site will save you much heartache (and backache) in the future. Most crepe myrtles planted today are selections of Lythraceae indica—a species ﬁrst introduced into the U.S. from China in the early 1800s by famed botanist Andre Michaux in Charleston, South Carolina—or hybrids between L. indica and Lythraceae faurei, an upright tree that reaches heights of 25-50 feet with arching branches.

Mature size is so important that we’ve grouped popular selections into dwarf (2-5 feet tall), semi-dwarf or short (6-10 feet tall) medium (11-20 feet tall), and tall (21-50 feet.) categories. Use dwarf kinds in containers, mixed borders, and masses. Use short types in containers, shrub borders, or near the house. Use medium types as small shade trees, street trees, or for screening. Give tall types lots of room and don’t plant near the house. One «Natchez» is plenty for a 900-square feet lawn.

Dwarf Crepe Myrtles

Name	Form/Height	Flower Color	Fall Foliage	Mildew Resistance	Comments
‘Chicksaw’	Dense mound 3-4 feet tall and wide	Lavender-pink	Bronze-red	Very good	Slow grower; great in container
‘Enduring Summer’	Rounded 4-5 feet tall and wide	White or red	Burgundy-red	Very good	Long blooming early summer through fall. Hardy from zone 6-9.
‘Pocomoke’	Mounding, 2-3 feet high, 3-4 feet wide	Rosy pink	Bronze-red	High	Great in containers; no pruning needed; heavy bloomer; cold hardy
Razzle Dazzle series	Mounding, 3-4 feet high and wide	See comments	Burgundy	Good	Begins blooming a little later than most crepe myrtles, usually in July; selections include ‘Cherry Dazzle’ (our favorite), cherry-red blooms; ‘Diamond Dazzle,’ white blooms; and ‘Sweetheart Dazzle,’ bubble-gum-pink
‘Summerlasting’	3 feet tall and wide	Raspberry, White, Bright pink, Plum	Bronze	Good	Long bloom season; does great in containers; zone 7-10
‘Tightwad Red’	Tight mound 3-4 feet tall and wide	Deep red	Burgundy	High	Small leaves emerge wine-red in spring, changing to deep green in summer; sterile—no seed pods; cold hardy
‘Victor’	Compact, 3-5 feet tall and wide	Deep red	Orange-yellow	Good	Cold hardy

Semi-Dwarf or Short Crepe Myrtles

Name	Form/Height	Flower Color	Fall Foliage	Mildew Resistance	Comments
‘Acoma’	Arching, spreading, 6-10 feet tall and wide	White	Reddish purple	High	Handsome, light gray bark; repeat bloomer; cold hardy; our favorite white
‘Delta Jazz’ (part of the Southern Living Plant Collection)	Upright, 6-10 feet tall, 4-5 feet wide	Pink	Burgundy	Good	Dark burgundy leaves are main attraction; not a heavy bloomer
Early Bird series (part of the Southern Living Plant Collection)	Upright, 5-8 feet high, 3-4 feet wide	White, lavender or purple	Burgundy-red	Good	Blooms earlier than most crepe myrtles, as early as Mother’s Day; reblooms over summer, offering over 100 days of blooms; great in containers
‘Hopi’	Spreading, bushy, 7-10 feet tall and wide	Medium pink	Orange-red	High	Handsome, gray-brown bark; repeat bloomer; cold hardy
Magic series	Rounded, bushy, 7-10 feet tall and wide	See comments	Light yellow	Good	Selections include ‘Coral Magic’ (coral-pink blooms), ‘Plum Magic’ (fuchsia-pink), and ‘Purple Magic’ (purple); new growth emerges red-dish and then changes to deep green
‘Red Rooster’	Upright, 8-10 feet tall, 5 feet wide	Bright red	Red	Good	New foliage emerges maroon-red; cold hardy
‘Siren Red’	Rounded, 8-10 feet tall and wide	Dark red	Yellow	High	New foliage emerges wine-red and then changes to dark green
‘Velma’s Royal Delight	Bushy, 4-6 feet tall and wide	Rich, magenta-purple	Yellow-orange	Good	Gorgeous ﬂ owers; handsome bark; cold hardy
‘White Chocolate’	8-10 feet tall and wide	White	Orange and yellow	Good	Beautiful in the landscape; leaves emerge maroon, then change to burgundy-green
‘Zuni’	Vase-shaped, spreading, 6-10 feet tall and wide	Medium lavender	Orange-red	High	Graceful form, long bloomer, hand-some bark, cold hardy; our favorite lavender

Medium Crepe Myrtles

Name	Form/Height	Flower Color	Fall Foliage	Mildew Resistance	Comments
Black Diamond series	Upright, spreading, 10-12 feet tall, 8 feet wide	See comments	Deep purple	Good	These new trademarked plants are the same as the Ebony series developed by the USDA; they’re noted for striking, blackish purple foliage and contrasting ﬂowers of red, pink, and white; selections include ‘Best Red’ (‘Ebony Flame’), ‘Blush’ (‘Ebony Glow’), ‘Crimson Red’ (‘Ebony Fire’), and ‘Pure White’ (‘Ebony & Ivory’)
‘Burgundy Cotton’	Upright to 12 feet tall, 6-7 feet wide	White	Burgundy	Good	Burgundy ﬂower buds; leaves emerge wine-red and then change to burgundy-green; fast grower
‘Catawba’	Upright, 12-15 feet tall, 8-10 feet wide	Deep purple	Orange-red	Good	Cold hardy; our favorite purple
‘Comanche’	Upright spreading, 12-15 feet tall and wide	Coral-pink	Orange-red	High	Handsome tan to sandalwood bark; cold hardy
‘Dynamite’	Upright, 15-20 feet tall, 10 feet wide	Cherry-red	Orange-red	Good	Flowers may develop white ﬂecking if they open on cool, overcast days; nearly seedless; new growth is crim-son, changing to green; cold hardy
‘Lipan’	Upright, spreading, 15-20 feet tall and wide	Medium lavender	Orange	High	Beautiful white to beige bark; cold hardy
‘Near East’	Open, vase-shaped, 10-15 feet tall and wide	Soft pink	Yellow	Fair to good	Beautiful blooms; not very cold hardy; not for Middle or Upper South
‘Osage’	Open, arching to pendulous, 15-20 ft. tall and wide	Clear, light pink	Red	High	Outstanding, chestnut-brown bark; heavy and long bloomer
‘Pink Velour’	Upright to vase-shaped, 10-12 feet tall and wide	Neon pink	Yellow	Good	Very showy blooms; leaves emerge wine-red and then change to burgundy-green; nearly seedless
‘Red Rocket’	Upright to 15-10 feet tall, 15 feet wide	Cherry-red	Orange-red	Good	Huge ﬂower clusters; ﬂowers open-ing on cool, overcast days may show white ﬂecking; new growth is red and then changes to deep green; cold hardy; our favorite red
‘Regal Red’	Upright to rounded, 15-20 feet tall and wide	Vivid, deep red	Red-orange	Good	Heavy bloomer; handsome bark; cold hardy
‘Rhapsody in Pink’	Upright to rounded, 12-15 feet tall and wide	Soft pink	Yellow-orange	Good	Seedless; leaves emerge purple and hold color through summer; ﬂower clusters rebloom
‘Sioux’	Upright to 15-20 feet tall, 15 feet wide	Bright pink	Red	High	Heavy and long bloomer; smooth, light-brown bark; susceptible to leaf spot in high rainfall areas
‘Tonto’	Rounded, 10-12 feet tall and wide	Red	Maroon	High	Handsome, cream-colored to gray bark
‘Tuscarora’	Vase-shaped, 15-20 feet tall and wide	Deep coral-pink	Orange-red	High	Handsome, mottled, light brown bark
‘Yuma’	Upright, vase-shaped, 12-15 feet tall and wide	Medium lavender	Yellow-orange	Good	Beautiful blooms; handsome, light gray bark; cold hardy

Tall Crepe Myrtles

Name	Form/Height	Flower Color	Fall Foliage	Mildew Resistance	Comments
‘Arapaho’	Upright, vase-shaped, 18-25 feet tall and wide	Intense red	Maroon	High	Handsome, tan bark; fast grower; cold hardy
‘Basham’s Party Pink’	Upright, spreading, to 50 feet tall and wide	Lavender-pink	Orange-red	Good	Very popular in south Texas; not very cold hardy; not recommended for Upper and Middle South
‘Biloxi’	Upright, vase-shaped, to 35 feet tall, 15 feet wide	Light pink	Yellow-orange to red	High	Fast grower; beautiful, chestnut-brown bark; cold hardy
‘Miami’	Upright, spreading, 18-25 feet tall and wide	Deep pink	Orange-red	High	Outstanding, chestnut-brown bark; cold hardy; our favorite pink
‘Muskogee’	Broad, spreading, to 30 feet tall and wide	Light lavender	Orange-red	High	Handsome, light gray-brown bark; long bloomer; cold hardy
‘Natchez’	Upright, arching, to 35 feet tall and wide	White	Orange-red	High	Spectacular, cinnamon-brown bark; fast grower; long bloomer; most widely planted crepe myrtle in the South
‘Tuskegee’	Broad, spreading, 18-25 feet tall and wide	Dark rose-pink	Orange-red	High	Mottled, light tan bark; long bloomer
‘William Toovey’	Upright, spreading, 18-25 feet tall and wide	Watermelon-red	Orange-red	Good	Often sold as ‘Watermelon Red’; ﬁ rst named crepe myrtle selection
‘Twilight’	20 – 25 feet tall and 10 -15 feet wide.	Deep purple	Orange, yellow, Burgundy	Good	Bronze leaf in early spring then green for summer. Blooms June through frost. Beautiful mottled bark. Zones 7-9

When to Buy a Crepe Myrtle

Believe it or not, we’re big advocates for you choosing a crepe myrtle in late summer. You’ll be able to see the tree in full bloom so you’ll know exactly what kind of show it will put on. And if you buy it in a container, you can either plant it in the yard right away or leave it in the original pot and plant it in fall when the weather is cooler. Bonus: August is often the time of year when garden centers put plants on sale, so you’ll probably land a bargain.

Whether you plant it or leave it in the pot, regular watering will be the key to survival. When it’s 95 degrees out, all it takes is one day of the roots drying out and it’s sayonara to your crepe myrtle. Make sure the roots stay moist as long as it’s warm. Next year, your plant will need much less water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color crepe myrtles are available?

Crepe myrtles are available in most colors except blue, yellow, and orange. The most common crepe myrtles are white and shades of pink to red and purple.
What do crepe myrtle flowers look like?

Crepe myrtles bloom in clusters with crepe paper-like flowers that reach six to 18 inches long. The foliage is leathery, elliptic and grows to be about three inches long. Trees have bark that is pale pinkish-grey.

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