13 Stunning Types of Crape Myrtle to Grow
If you’re looking for a small tree that fills your landscape with beautiful flowers and an exquisite shape, a crape myrtle might do the trick. These plants have tall, slender trucks covered with smooth bark, full foliage that creates shade, and long-blooming flowers. Although all crape myrtles appear similar, there are differences in cold hardiness, height, and flower color. Keep reading to learn about 13 of the most popular types of crape myrtle.
13 Stunning Types of Crape Myrtle:
Don’t know what type of crape myrtle you should plant? Check out these 13 beautiful types of crape myrtle!
Fuchsia d’Été Crape Myrtle
This bright pink variety is an exclusive variety from Indiya Charms in France. The name ‘Fuchsia d’Été’ translates into fuchsia summer, which alludes to the plant’s bright pink flowers that bloom in the early summer.
The plants are known for shoots that appear red when they are young. This coloration, coupled with smooth bark, means the plants are gorgeous.
‘Fuchsia d’Été’ has bright pink flowers that appear in dense clusters. These flowers start blooming in the late spring or early summer and continue blooming for multiple months.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Fuchsia d’Été’ ® INDYFUS |
| Growing Zones | 7–9 |
| Flowering Season | Late spring through midsummer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 10–15 feet |
Rhapsody in Pink® Crape Myrtle
This variety of crape myrtle is officially known as ‘Whit VIII,’ but it often goes by the name Rhapsody in Pink®. Its scientific name refers to the famous crape myrtle breeder Dr. Carl Whitcomb.
Its leaves can range in color from deep green to rich maroon to dark purple. This foliage contrasts against light pink flowers with frilly petals and yellow stamens.
These flowers start blooming in the middle of summer and can sometimes continue until the first frost arrives. This variety is part of Dr. Whitcomb’s Play it Again® collection, which means the flowers rebloom on the same panicle.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit VIII’ |
| Growing Zones | 6b–9 |
| Flowering Season | Midsummer to early fall |
| Light Requirements | Full sun to partial shade |
| Mature Height | 10–12 feet |
Dynamite® Crape Myrtle
Dynamite® is another variety that comes from Dr. Whitcomb. It was the first true red variety of crape myrtle to exist, and it remains popular today.
Lots of direct sunlight is crucial to the development of bright crimson flowers. If you plant this variety in partial shade, the flowers will likely appear faded.
Like most crape myrtles, Dynamite® has attractive smooth bark that peels over time. That means it provides interest in the garden even during the winter.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit II’ |
| Growing Zones | 6–10 |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 15–20 feet |
Double Dynamite® Crape Myrtle
Another member of the Play it Again® series, this variety continues to rebloom on the same flower cluster. The result is an ongoing display of fiery red flowers—people report the flowers bloom for over 100 days!
The ruffled flowers emerge light pink and darken to bright red. New vegetative growth appears dark red.
This variety is especially heat tolerant, which makes it a good choice for the South.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit X’ |
| Growing Zones | 7–10 |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 8–10 feet |
Natchez Crape Myrtle
The Natchez crape myrtle has large white flowers that often bloom over three to four months. When the flowers drop in the fall, you can enjoy watching the plant’s leaves turn from dark green to bright orange.
The bark turns a beautiful cinnamon red and peels each summer to reveal fresh dusky tan bark.
This variety also grows quite rapidly (3–5 feet per year), so it’s a good choice if you’re looking to quickly add shade to an area.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia x ‘Natchez’ |
| Growing Zones | 7–10 |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 20–30 feet |
Red Rocket Crape Myrtle
If you’re looking for fast-growing types of crape myrtle, give Red Rocket a try! This variety can grow more than five feet each year, so it can reach its final height in just a handful of years.
This cultivar is also a long-bloomer. It typically begins producing deep red flowers in mid-summer and continues blooming into the early fall.
It’s also known for being relatively drought-tolerant and can also handle colder temperatures than some other crape myrtle varieties.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Red Rocket’ |
| Growing Zones | 6–9 |
| Flowering Season | Summer and early fall |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 20–30 feet |
Pink Velour Crape Myrtle
The Pink Velour crape myrtle is a small variety that maxes out at about ten feet tall. However, it packs a lot of beauty into this small package!
It has bright pink flowers that typically bloom from July through September. But what really sets it apart are its leaves—they start out maroon and then change to a deep greenish/purple.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Pink Velour’ |
| Growing Zones | 7–10 |
| Flowering Season | Summer and early fall |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 10–12 feet |
Purple Magic Crape Myrtle
Another crape myrtle that works in small spaces is ‘Purple Magic.’ It produces ruffled and wrinkled bright purple flowers and has leaves that change from red to green to yellow.
The first flowers appear in the late spring. And if you remove the flowers once they die, the plant can send out a second flush of flowers in the early fall!
Like most crape myrtle, it will grow best in full sun.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Purple Magic’ |
| Growing Zones | 7–9 |
| Flowering Season | Early summer, possible second flowering in early fall |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 6–10 feet |
Plum Magic Crape Myrtle
New leaves emerge deep pink or purple and change to dark green as it ages. Plum Magic produces fuchsia flowers that contrast against the plant’s foliage.
As a member of the ‘Magic’ crape myrtle series, this variety is moderately resistant to leaf spot and powdery mildew. You should plant it in full sun to prevent disease and allow it to thrive.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Plum Magic’ |
| Growing Zones | 7–9 |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 12–14 feet |
Queen’s Crape Myrtle
While most crape myrtles grown in the United States are some variation of the species Lagerstroemia indica, Queen’s crape myrtle is an entirely different species. It is also known as the pride of India and giant crape myrtle.
Since it’s a different species, it is less cold-hardy than the common Lagerstroemia indica. While it is rarely grown in the United States, it grows throughout parts of Asia and Australia.
The flower color varies depending on the exact plant, but blooms are often some variation of pink or purple.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia speciosa |
| Growing Zones | 10b–11b |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 40–50 feet |
Tuscarora Crape Myrtle
The Tuscarora crape myrtle adds a stunning display of dark pink blooms that appear on an umbrella-shaped plant.
Along with its gorgeous flowers, it also has attractive foliage. The leaves start out a deep vibrant green before transforming to a fiery dark orange in the fall.
The slender branching trunks are covered with a stunning bark that is mottled with shades of reddish-brown, tan, and gray.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Tuscarora’ |
| Growing Zones | 7–9 |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 10–20 feet |
Black Diamond™ Purely Purple® Crape Myrtle
The Black Diamond™ line of crape myrtles is known for dark reddish/purple foliage that almost appears black. This deep color is present as soon as leaves emerge and remains as the foliage ages.
This variety has bright purple flowers that bloom from June all the way through October! That means it provides a long-lasting display of color along with its dark leaves.
Along with being beautiful, Black Diamond™ Purely Purple® can also tolerate drought, intense heat, and some types of common diseases.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia hybrid ’18LI’ |
| Growing Zones | 6–9 |
| Flowering Season | Summer through fall |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 10–12 feet |
Pocomoke Crape Myrtle
While many people think of crape myrtles as small trees or large shrubs, you can find true dwarf varieties like ‘Pocomoke.’ This small crape myrtle only grows up to five feet tall and wide, so you can tuck it in front of houses and in smaller garden beds.
‘Pocomoke’ has deep pink flowers that bloom during the summer. These flowers are set against leaves that emerge red and change to dark green.
This variety’s small size means that you can plant individual shrubs or clump multiple plants together to form a flowering hedgerow.
| Scientific Name | Lagerstroemia indica ‘Pocomoke’ |
| Growing Zones | 6–9 |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Light Requirements | Full sun |
| Mature Height | 2–5 feet |
Wrapping Up
Now that you know some of the most beautiful types of crape myrtle, all that’s left to do is choose which one(s) you’d like to grow. Remember to plant your crepe myrtle in a warm area and provide it with full sun.
Briana holds a B.S. in Plant Sciences from Penn State University. She manages a small market garden where she grows vegetables and herbs. She also enjoys growing flowers and houseplants at home.