Crape Myrtles offer a colorful display of flowers during the hot and humid summer season. They come in many varieties and are also known as Lagerstroemia or Crepe Myrtle. Crape Myrtle is a flowering shrub that needs little maintenance. It is a fast growing shrub or tree that has attractive foliage and bears vibrant flowers during the blooming season.

Crape Myrtles are very diverse shrubs and can be used as a focal point in the garden, specimen or border plants. Some dwarf varieties of this amazing shrub can also be grown in large containers or pots. Crape Myrtles can fit in well in any kind of landscape and compliment the other plants and trees in the surrounding area.

Crape Myrtle can be grown in a variety of soils. It should be planted in a sunny location that receives full or partial sun throughout the day. The plant will perform its best when planted in full sun and produce flowers with vigor. Crepe Myrtle should ideally be planted in the fall season when the weather is cooler and plant is dormant. It is advisable to plant them well before the first frost so that plant gets ample time to establish itself.

You can plant container grown varieties that are available in most of the nurseries across the country. Crepe Myrtles bear pink, lavender or white colored flowers that have a crinkled or crepe like texture. Once you have planted the shrub, cover the soil with mulch to protect the plant from extreme temperatures and unwanted weeds. The plant will require ample watering during the initial stages to develop and grow properly. However, once it has matured, it will require relatively less watering. Some of the varieties are drought resistant and can go without water for extended time periods.

Crape Myrtle grows vigorously without any fertilization if the basic requirements are met. However, you can use an all- purpose fertilizer once or twice before the blooming period to give it a boost. It is important not to over- fertilize the tree s as it would do more harm than good. Mature trees should be pruned occasionally to maintain clean and artistic look. You can prune them to get a desired shape.