When it comes to flower gardening in Florida, I always count on Crape Myrtle because it can withstand heat very well. I have grown a lot of different varieties of Crape Myrtle here in Florida. In this article, I’ll share all my personal experiences growing this plant to help you learn how to grow, care for, and prune crape myrtle in Florida.
Florida is not a small state, and the climate of North Florida is not the same as South Florida. That’s why I’m recommending varieties suited to specific regions of the state.
If you are a flowering plant lover like me, don't forget to check: the best flowering plants to grow in Florida. (With pictures of my garden)
Best variety of Crape Myrtle in Florida
If you are just about to start growing crape myrtle, your first step should be variety selection.
You will also find when crape myrtles bloom in Florida in this chart.
| Crape Myrtle Variety | Flower Color | Best For | Mature Height | Blooming Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Natchez' | White | North & Central Florida | 20–30 ft | Late spring to early fall |
| 'Tuscarora' | Coral Pink | Central & South Florida | 15–20 ft | Summer to early fall |
| 'Dynamite' | Red | Statewide | 15–20 ft | Mid-summer to fall |
| 'Muskogee' | Lavender | North & Central Florida | 20–25 ft | Late spring to fall |
| 'Petite Orchid' | Light Purple | South Florida (small spaces) | 3–5 ft | Early summer to fall |
If you don't have enough space in your garden, go for the Crape Myrtle 'Petite Orchid' variety. It will take small space. It is suitable for South Florida, but you can also grow it in Central Florida with proper winter care.
Someone asked me in an online gardening community: What is the most unique variety of crape myrtle?
There is one variety with blackish leaves. The name of that variety is "Black Diamond".
Growth rate is comparatively slower for this variant.
Have a look at this:
The leaves are really dark:
Pink Crape Myrtle:
They come in a lot of different colors like pink, purple, red, and white. Once you choose your favourite variant, it's time to plant it and grow it with proper care.
Do you know? In Europe, people call it Crepe Myrtle, and in America, we call it Crape Myrtle. Both are the same plant.
Growing and Caring for Crape Myrtle in Florida
They are easy to grow, and there is no strict rule on what type of soil you need for your crape myrtle.
Still, I will suggest the best growing conditions.
There are two important things to keep in mind: when and where you plant.
In other parts of the US, gardeners usually prefer to plant Crape Myrtle in Spring. For Florida, I would recommend late winter to early spring.
Like most of the other flowering trees and plants, crape myrtle needs full sun, at least 6 hours a day. Find a sunny spot in your garden and plant it.
Plant it in the ground, not in a pot unless you have the Petite Orchid variety.
Water regularly after planting. The regular watering is necessary only for the first 45 days of the plantation. Once established, no need to water regularly. Only water when you see the soil is completely dry. (As they are drought tolerant)
This is why I consider crape myrtle a low-maintenance plant.
Note: Crape Myrtle is also called a tree instead of a plant. There are a lot of varieties that can grow really big.
When to Prune Crape Myrtle
I generally prefer to prune my Crape Myrtle just before the active growing season. The active growing season is spring.
Try to prune your plant in late winter.
You can also prune in the early spring. It will start producing new foliage just after pruning, but that will reduce the growth rate.
Crape Myrtle can tolerate a hard prune. If you don't want to see your plant grow large, you can try hard pruning. My father trimmed my Crape Myrtle almost to the ground level last year, and this is how it looks now:
My father cut all the main branches and left no stems. This is not the right way to prune.
What I learnt from my experiences:
Select 3–5 main trunks and remove any extras if it's too crowded. Lightly prune top branches to keep a natural, rounded shape. Do not try chopping off the entire top.
Suckers are new shoots that keep coming out from the roots or the lower trunk.
For fertilization, you may consider giving it phosphorus-based fertilizer in early spring. It will help the plant to produce more blooms.
Do not overfeed it (especially the nitrogen). It will reduce the bloom and increase the foliage growth.
Do crape myrtles lose their leaves in Florida?
In South Florida and Central Florida, the Crape Myrtles change the color of the leaves first.
The leaves become brownish as the temperature drops in winter. In extreme cold, they drop their leaves mostly in North Florida. This is a kind of dormancy for Crape Myrtle. New foliage will come back again in the early spring.
If you have more free space, you may also consider growing an orchid tree. I have created a separate article on that: Growing an orchid tree in Florida.
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Some more Crape Myrtle Pictures
Red Crape Myrtle
