Flowers through the hottest months, coloured leaves in autumn and bare branches that let the winter sun in. From pot-sized dwarfs to shade trees.
Crepe myrtles flower at the time of year when most of the garden is struggling.
Crinkled flowers in red, pink, mauve, purple or white from late spring through summer.
Leaves turn orange, red and yellow before they drop.
Smooth, mottled bark, and bare branches that let winter sun into the house. Good next to a north-facing window.
From 1 m dwarfs for pots to 8 m shade trees.
Crepe myrtles are one of the trees we reorder most, so there's usually a good choice of colours.
Dwarf1 to 1.5 m
Lagerstroemia indica dwarf forms
Compact plants in red, pink, mauve and white for pots, small courtyards and the front of a border. The dwarf red is our most reordered crepe myrtle.
CompactAbout 1.5 m
Lagerstroemia hybrid
Bright red flowers on a compact, bushy plant, and good resistance to powdery mildew.
Compact1.5 to 2 m
Lagerstroemia hybrid
A small shrub-form crepe myrtle for tight spaces and large pots.
Dark leaf2 to 3 m
Lagerstroemia indica
Deep burgundy, almost black leaves with bright flowers. We stock 'Red Hot', 'Blush', 'Purely Purple', 'Lavender Lace', 'Mystic Magenta' and 'Best Red'.
Small tree3 to 4 m
Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei
Lavender flowers, good autumn colour and mildew resistance. A small shade tree for a courtyard.
Tree6 to 8 m
Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei
White flowers and peeling cinnamon bark that looks good all winter. The pick for a larger shade tree. A bush form is also available.
Tree4 to 6 m
Lagerstroemia indica
Mauve, white or rubra (deep pink) flowers on the familiar street-tree form.
Tropical5 m or more
Lagerstroemia speciosa
Large purple flower panicles. This one is frost tender, so it needs a warm, sheltered spot or a big pot you can move.
Six hours of sun or more gives the most flowers and the least mildew. Plant them where there is good air movement.
Prune while they're dormant, in June or July. Remove crossing branches and spent seed heads. Don't lop them back to stumps, which gives weak, whippy growth.
They become very drought tolerant with age, but young trees need a deep weekly soak in January and February.
Check the mature height on the label. A dwarf form saves years of pruning a tree that is too big for its spot.
Tell us how much room you have and the colour you're after. We'll show you what's in flower at the nursery.