Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Care, watering, light and tips for Crape myrtle on Floravia.
Quick facts
- Family: Lythraceae
- Difficulty: Easy to care for
- Watering: every 7 days
- Light: Partial shade
- Temperature: 10–30 °C
About Crape myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica, commonly known as Crape Myrtle, is a deciduous shrub or small tree renowned for its spectacular summer blooming. Its flowers, ranging from white to pink, lavender, and red, form dense and long-lasting panicles. It is perfect for enhancing gardens, as a standalone specimen or in alignments, and its attractive exfoliating bark adds visual interest throughout the year.
Native range
East Asia (China, Korea, Himalayas)
Care tips
It requires full sun exposure for abundant flowering and optimal development. Watering should be regular during growth and flowering periods, especially in hot and dry climates, but reduced in winter. It prefers well-drained, rich, and slightly acidic soils; a common mistake is planting it in partial shade, which drastically reduces its bloom.
How to save a dying Crape myrtle
- Warning signs
- Yellowish or whitish leaves, premature leaf drop, no flowering, cankers on trunk.
- First aid
- Check watering and drainage. Prune dry or diseased branches. Apply fungicide for powdery mildew.
- What kills it
- Overwatering in heavy soils (root rot) or lack of sun. Does not tolerate dense shade.
- Can it be saved?
- Yes, if roots are not rotted and main trunk is not severely damaged.