Lagerstroemia indica, commonly known as the crape myrtle, is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. These flowering trees are beautifully colored and are often planted as ornamentals.

Crape myrtles are known for their colorful and long-lasting flowers, which can last for 2-3 months. The “Arapaho” variety stays red for three months.

Most species of Lagerstroemia have a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year.

Flowers are borne in summer and autumn. Colors vary from deep purple to red to pink with almost every shade in between.

Both subtropical and tropical species are common in domestic and commercial landscapes. Crape myrtle are used in landscaping and gardening as screens, lawn specimens, shrub borders, and container plants. Crape myrtles are best cultivated in warmer climates, USDA zones 7–9, and they prefer full sun. They occur in a variety of flowering colors and sized.

They are native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates worldwide.

In the United States, it is an iconic plant of gardens across the Southern United States and Texas.