Crape Myrtle care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) wants full sun and a drink about every 10 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Lagerstroemia indica |
|---|---|
| family | Lythraceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 10 |
| min zone | 7 |
| max zone | 10 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Crape Myrtle?
Drought-tolerant once established; water young trees deeply.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 32 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 50 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 165 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -3°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a multiple stem form. Its growth rate is moderate. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in spring. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 25.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 25 feet. Its roots go down at least 32 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in summer. The flowers are purple. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is moderate in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is brown. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits low. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: no. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is low. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02