Lagerstroemia, Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle 'Catawba'

Beautiful, deep purple blooms from July until frost here in the South. Blooms are so profuse, I have to prune back smaller branches to st...Read Moreronger ones each spring to prevent the weight of the blooms from breaking weaker branches. Develops into a stunning, small tree for a small patio or courtyard.

I enjoy my catawba crepe myrtles here in OKC. They are now 9 years old and are very heat tolerant and able to grow in the extremely dry...Read More summers we have had.

has proven hardy here in zone 6a in a north facing semi-sheltered location with 3-4 inch leaf mulching for winter. Has grown to 7' in 3 ...Read Moreor 4 years and is very healthy. Older plants in the neighborhood are 10-12 feet tall, 7-8' wide dense shrubs, indicating general hardiness. Zone info. (7a) seems to be too conservative.

I planted this crepe myrtle about 5yrs ago. It was trouble free till last year. It developed a fungus (that responded to organic spraying...Read More). I think it happened because I put up a 6ft privacy fence (staggered-slat design) the year before (about 6 feet from the myrtle) that may have cut down on air circulation. In addition, we had a dry, hot & humid summer. Fingers crossed for this season!

It's a beautiful 15 footer, tho. Light purple (or lilac) & a bee & butterfly magnet; also, the goldfinches eat the spent seedheads in the winter.