There are many different varieties of Crape Myrtles but a limited number that thrive in South Texas. With the proper cultivar and proper placement, they will provide color and form to your landscape for many years. They do love the sun and need a half a day of sunlight or more. All of the below varieties are drought tolerant once established and are mildew resistant. They all bloom clusters of crepe-like blooms.
Our favorites are:
(Listing From Tallest To Shortest)
| Basham | up to 30′ tall | lavender-pink blooms |
| Natchez | up to 25′ tall | white blooms |
| Arapaho | up to 20′ tall | red blooms with maroon tinged foliage |
| Red Rocket | up to 15′ tall | ruby red blooms with dark green foliage |
| Dynamite | up to 15′ tall | fire red blooms |
| Catawba | up to 15′ tall | purple blooms |
| Zuni | up to 12′ tall | purple blooms |
| Tonto | 8′-10′ tall | dark red blooms |
| Hopi | up to 10′ tall | light pink blooms |
| Ebony Flame | up to 10′ tall | dark foliage with red blooms |
| Ebony Ivory | up to 10′ tall | dark foliage with white blooms |
*Please note – most dwarf varieties do not do well in our area without pampering.
From the above, the Basham Party Pink Crape Myrtle provides the fastest and most shade, growing up to 30′ tall.
When selecting your variety, make sure you give it plenty of space, height and width. As with all trees, trim as needed to eliminate branches from rubbing against each other and prune off lower “twiggy” growth, but do not “top” prune. If you purchase a Crape Myrtle as a young plant, you can select which trunks you want to keep and get rid of the rest to give it the form you want it to have as a mature plant.
It’s a wonder to watch Crape Myrtles go from ordinary to extraordinary in a matter of days as they start blooming in late spring. Look down most neighborhood streets to find a multiple of white, pinks, reds and purples high above homes. Crape Myrtles are a beautiful long-lived addition to your landscape. They are cold hardy, great color for summer, provide fall colored foliage and interesting bark (exfoliating), and drought tolerant once established.
We think Crape Myrtles are a winner for landscapes and will give you years of enjoyment!
-Sally & Debbie
Sandra Stromstedt says
At what point do you stop watering the Crepe Myrtle so often. When Fall begins or do you continue to water at least once/twice a week for the first year? Thank you.
james says
Sandra, it is best to slow or stop watering in the fall to allow plants to go dormant for winter. But for newly planted plants, do water weekly or biweekly if you have not had a substantial rain.
Hilda says
purchased a Basham Crepe myrtle on 10/9 and started the watering schedule, i.e. everyday (5 gal), then as you are aware it started raining daily, and I did not want to overwate r(afraid of root rot) with the cooler weather and still some rain in the forecast, how do I tell if its too much ?
james gill says
You want to replace water right in the rootball as it is lost, so that will be days that are either sunny or windy, or both. Rainy days will not need watering, but if it rains one day but is sunny and breezy the next, I would water a little even though there may be water in the gutter or on the ground. As time goes by and the roots spread, you want to water less frequently, but over a larger area. Also as it loses its leaves this fall/winter it will need less frequent watering, but still maybe once every two weeks when cold but with no rain.