crapemyrtle
Lagerstroemia indica · Lythraceae
crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a perennial tree in the Lythraceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -3°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 25 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | low USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 6 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | understory Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 25 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are purple.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 50 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 165 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 32 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. It can resprout after its top growth is damaged, so it tolerates being cut back hard. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- Uruguayan pampas grass Cortaderia selloana
- parsley hawthorn Crataegus marshallii
- Franklin tree Franklinia alatamaha
- little walnut Juglans microcarpa
- Japanese black pine Pinus thunbergii
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol LAIN, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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