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Lagerstroemia
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Lagerstroemia
Lagerstroemia (/ˌleɪɡərˈstriːmiə/), commonly known as crape myrtle (also commonly spelled crepe myrtle, crape-myrtle, or crapemyrtle), is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. It is a member of the family Lythraceae, which is also known as the loosestrife family. These flowering trees are beautifully colored and are often planted both privately and commercially as ornamentals.
The genus Lagerstroemia was first described by Carl Linnaeus. It is named after Swedish merchant Magnus von Lagerström, a director of the Swedish East India Company, who supplied Linnaeus with plants he collected.
Crape myrtles are chiefly known for their colorful and long-lasting flowers, which occur in summer. Most species of Lagerstroemia have sinewy, fluted stems and branches with a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year. Its leaves come in pairs, one located directly across from the other on the stem, each leaf consisting of a single smooth-edged blade, varying in size from 5–20 cm (2–8 in). While all species are woody in nature, they can range in height from over 30 m (100 ft) to under 30 cm (1 ft); most, however, are small to medium, multiple-trunked trees and shrubs. The leaves of temperate species provide autumn color.
Flowers are produced in summer and autumn in panicles of crinkled flowers. This crinkled appearance of its flowers is the source of its name: a "crape" being a historically common mourning bonnet with a distinctively crisp and crimped appearance. Colors vary from deep purple to red to white, with almost every shade in between. Although no blue-flowered varieties exist, the flowers trend toward the blue end of the spectrum with no orange or yellow except in stamens and pistils. The fruit is a capsule, green and succulent at first, then ripening to dark brown or black dryness. It splits along six or seven lines, producing teeth much like those of the calyx, and releases numerous, small, winged seeds.
Plants of the World Online currently (2025) includes:
Lagerstroemia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (moth and butterfly) species, including Endoclita malabaricus.
The leaves of L. parviflora are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth, which produces the tassar silk, a form of wild silk of commercial importance in India.
Crape myrtles are susceptible to several pests and diseases, most notably, fungus-caused powdery mildew, and more recently, bark scale, caused by aphids leaving a black dark fungal infection in their wake.
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Lagerstroemia
Lagerstroemia (/ˌleɪɡərˈstriːmiə/), commonly known as crape myrtle (also commonly spelled crepe myrtle, crape-myrtle, or crapemyrtle), is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. It is a member of the family Lythraceae, which is also known as the loosestrife family. These flowering trees are beautifully colored and are often planted both privately and commercially as ornamentals.
The genus Lagerstroemia was first described by Carl Linnaeus. It is named after Swedish merchant Magnus von Lagerström, a director of the Swedish East India Company, who supplied Linnaeus with plants he collected.
Crape myrtles are chiefly known for their colorful and long-lasting flowers, which occur in summer. Most species of Lagerstroemia have sinewy, fluted stems and branches with a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year. Its leaves come in pairs, one located directly across from the other on the stem, each leaf consisting of a single smooth-edged blade, varying in size from 5–20 cm (2–8 in). While all species are woody in nature, they can range in height from over 30 m (100 ft) to under 30 cm (1 ft); most, however, are small to medium, multiple-trunked trees and shrubs. The leaves of temperate species provide autumn color.
Flowers are produced in summer and autumn in panicles of crinkled flowers. This crinkled appearance of its flowers is the source of its name: a "crape" being a historically common mourning bonnet with a distinctively crisp and crimped appearance. Colors vary from deep purple to red to white, with almost every shade in between. Although no blue-flowered varieties exist, the flowers trend toward the blue end of the spectrum with no orange or yellow except in stamens and pistils. The fruit is a capsule, green and succulent at first, then ripening to dark brown or black dryness. It splits along six or seven lines, producing teeth much like those of the calyx, and releases numerous, small, winged seeds.
Plants of the World Online currently (2025) includes:
Lagerstroemia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (moth and butterfly) species, including Endoclita malabaricus.
The leaves of L. parviflora are fed on by the Antheraea paphia moth, which produces the tassar silk, a form of wild silk of commercial importance in India.
Crape myrtles are susceptible to several pests and diseases, most notably, fungus-caused powdery mildew, and more recently, bark scale, caused by aphids leaving a black dark fungal infection in their wake.
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