Crape Myrtle Shrubs

Long-Blooming & Colorful Crape Myrtle Bushes!

Crape Myrtle shrubs add vibrant color to your landscape all summer and well into the autumn! Browse our inventory for the Crape Myrtle varieties that suit your aesthetic and your growing zone!

Origins of the Crape Myrtle

Sometimes spelled Crepe Myrtle, referring to the crepe paper-like blossoms, the Crape Myrtle is gorgeous any way you write it! Sometimes one word as Crapemyrtle, the Crape Myrtle bush or tree is native to Southeast Asia and Oceania, though it is now cultivated throughout the warmer regions of the world.

Its genus name, Lagerstroemia, comes from the Swedish merchant Magnus von Lagerström, who supplied plants to Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist and physician who formalized the modern system of naming organisms and is known as the father of taxonomy. 

What's the Difference Between Crape Myrtle Trees & Shrubs?

The difference between a tree and a shrub hinges on height and whether it has a single stem versus multiple trunks. Crape Myrtle trees can grow to a mature height of 20 feet and more, and sometimes have a single stem/trunk. Crape Myrtle bushes, on the other hand, tend to stay between two and 15 feet tall, though they are highly adaptable. However, the multi-stemmed shrubs can be pruned to expose the lower third of the trunks to create a gorgeous multi-trunked tree-form accent!

You can use these shrubs as lovely privacy screens, backdrops, foundation plantings, garden accents, and specimens, or container plants! Pollinators and hummingbirds adore the blooms and you can snip a few stems for bouquets too!

Crape Myrtle Shrub Varieties

Browse our inventory for the Crape Myrtle shrubs that will thrive in whichever USDA planting zone you occupy.

• The Red Crape Myrtle Shrub is our most popular variety for its fiery red blooms that dazzle from July through September! There is also a Pink Crape and even White!
• Black Diamond® Crape Myrtles brings drama to your yard from late spring through fall, and it can be used as an annual planting in zones 3 to 5. Their dark near-black foliage is a real standout when paired with their highly saturated blooms!
• Add a sophisticated spray of feathery white blossoms to your landscape with a Natchez Crape Myrtle Bush. While the large Sioux Crape Myrtle is a gorgeous pink variety!
• First Editions® Magic Crape Myrtles have luxuriant color and improved features such as powdery mildew resistance and more compact growth!
• You will also find lavender, pink, and coral-colored varieties of Crape Myrtle shrubs at Nature Hills!
• The dwarf and semi-dwarf Pocomoke and Enduring Summer™ Red are great for container gardeners and small-scale landscaping!
• The NEW and improved GreatMyrtle™ Crape Myrtles are vibrantly colored and much more cold-hardy (down to zone 5) shrubs!

Crape Myrtle Care and Pruning

Easy care Crape Myrtles lets you enjoy some summer downtime! The most important thing is to give it full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. The more sun, the more flowers! Plus you will see stronger growth. Try to give Crape Myrtle a planting site with good air circulation and receives direct sunlight in the morning. This is the drying sun and will quickly dry up any overnight dew.

This greatly improves the plant's ability to be resistant to powdery mildew. Use drip irrigation, too, not overhead lawn sprinklers and water your shrubs at the roots.

Give Crapes a moderate amount of water on a regular basis. Once their roots are established in your native soil, they'll become drought-tolerant. However, you'll really see the best flowering with an even amount of water.

Crapes perform best in well-drained soils. If you have heavy clay soil that stays wet for a long time after rainfall, you'll need to mound up. Bring in additional soil in a heaped mound that is 12 - 18 inches tall and 3 feet wide. Plant directly in that mound.

Jazz up your plantings with a 3-4 inch layer of arborist mulch. Pull it back from around the trunk, but be liberal in the amount you use. Plants love mulch covering their root systems, keeps them cool, holds in moisture, and enriches the soil. It also ties the look of your planting together!

You can prune to the correct shape before it starts growing in late winter or very early spring. During the growing season, this deciduous shrub produces clusters of charmingly frilly flowers that last for months. The massive flower clusters are born on the branch tips on new growth. If they begin to fade, feel free to deadhead spent blooms, they will likely rebloom for you!

Order Crape Myrtles at Nature Hills!

Crape Myrtle has something to offer whatever the season, and it will certainly bring you enjoyment!

Crape Myrtle bushes are resistant to most diseases, tolerant of drought, seldom bothered by deer, and require little care. Plant them in sunny areas, especially where the morning sun can dry their foliage. Though most varieties can adapt to a range of soil conditions, good drainage is important.

Whether you group them together, place them in large containers, or plant one as a solo showstopper, you'll enjoy years of Crape Myrtle beauty with the Nature Hills Nursery guarantee!

These are a wonderful choice, go ahead and order today! You'll never regret it!