Crape myrtle is a native of China, Korea, Japan, and India, widely cultivated as
a dramatic landscape planting in suit­able climates throughout the world.
That's crape myrtle, right? Or is it crepe myrtle?
Or crêpe myrtle? Crapemyrtle, crepemyrtle, or crêpemyrtle? Depends
who you ask. Crape is an anglicized version of the French crêpe,
and crape myrtle is named after crêpes, because the crinkly flower
edges suggest the crinkled edges of crêpes. So the alternate spellings
abound. We use the American Crape Myrtle Society's spelling, not
necessarily because they are in charge of such matters, but simply to
be consistent on this site.
Identification: These plants blur the distinction between
tree and shrub, at 10-30′ (3-9.1 m) in height, with multiple, spreading stems. Some cultivars are
much smaller, as small as 1½′ (45 cm). Bark is
smooth, mottled, and pinkish-gray, peeling to reveal cinnamon-colored new bark.
It sheds each year. Leaves are pinnate, 1-2½″ (2.5-7.1 cm) long,
opposite or whorled, and elliptic, oblong,
or obovate. They are dark green, turning yellow,
orange, or red in the fall. Flowers occur in large, attractive panicles. This cultivar is red; others
are white, pink, mauve or purple. Flowers appear from July to September. Fruits are brown,
oval or round, and less than ½″ (1.3 cm) around.