Lagerstroemia – a very ornamental tree

Lagerstroemia is an amazing shrub that blooms during the entire summer.

Essential Lagerstroemia facts

Name – Lagerstroemia indica
Family – Lythraceae
Type – tree

Height – 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters)
Exposure – full sun, part sun

Soil: rich enough   –   Foliage: deciduous   –   Flowering: end of spring to fall

Planting, pruning and caring for it are steps that help enhance blooming and growth of your Lagerstroemia.

Planting a lagerstroemia

Lagerstroemia, or crepe myrtle, can be found either in shrub form, part-stem and full-stem versions. A full-stem version looks like a little tree, with leafage atop a little trunk.

It is preferable to plant it in fall in order to support root development, however you can also plant it until spring, but only on non-freezing days.

In colder areas, planting in spring is best, whereas in other areas fall is fine, after leaves have fallen off.

• Choose a place that is sheltered and more than anything bathed in sun.
• Growth is relatively slow.
• Refer to our guidelines on planting shrubs.

Growing Lagerstroemia in a pot is perfectly possible, especially where winters are harsh, so that you can bring them in for protection in winter.

Depending on how large

Pruning and caring for Lagerstroemia

Best performed at the end of winter, preferably during the month of March, either a bit earlier or a bit later depending on the climate (after the deeper frost spells of course).

• Cut the previous year’s branches short to increase the following year’s blooming.
• Remove branches that cross over each other, keeping those facing outwards and removing those pointing back into the shrub.

Prune branches that have grown in the previous year, leaving only an inch (a couple centimeters) or so, checking that you’re leaving an eye facing outwards from the shrub.

• This helps keep a nice silhouette.

Learn more about Lagerstroemia

Lagerstroemia is a small ornamental tree with abundant and plentiful blooming. It stands out all summer long thanks to its magnificent brightly-colored panicles.

Its blooming is very long-lasting, and you can rely on your lagerstroemia to keep blooming until the first frost spells.

In fall, this deciduous tree unveils surprising red, yellow and orange leafage.

In winter, once leaves are on the ground, the trunk appears with beautiful blue-gray-veined patches, much like that of a plane tree.

• Lather the ground with mulch to protect its roots when winters are cold.
• Grow it in a pot and bring it inside away from the cold if temperatures drop below 23°F (-10°C).

Read also:

• Advice on how to prune shrubs
• Ideas of flowered shrubs for a hedge
• Hedges, great barriers against diseases
• Shrubs that flower in the summer