The Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.)

                                                     a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Site

          

 The purpose of this educational website is to provide information about the botany, biology, uses, culture and management of crape myrtles. A major feature of this site is the searchable database containing information and pictures on many of the Lagerstroemia cultivars and species of horticultural interest. While this database is an ongoing work in progress, an attempt has been made to provide information on most of the commercially available cultivars. It must be mentioned, however, that we do not have information about sources of plant material. For this you will have to consult with a nursery or garden center in your location.  

 

Table of Contents (Click on the subject or link of interest).                

Introduction

Commercial Production

Research on Crape Myrtles

Texas Nursery and Landscape Association

Botanical & Horticultural Description

Landscape Management and Culture

Crape Myrtle Literature

Aggie Horticulture

Common Names

Pruning Crape Myrtles

Crape Myrtle Links

Ornamental Horticulture at Texas A&M - Dallas

 Taxonomy and Lagerstroemia species

Pests and Diseases

Crape Myrtle Society of America

 

Lagerstroemia Cultivar Database

Other Uses of Lagerstroemia

Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney

 

                

              

    The late Dr. Don Egolf (US National Arboretum) and the late Benny Simpson (Texas A&M) evaluating

    crape myrtle hybrid lines at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at Dallas (circa 1975). A few

    of these interspecific hybrids (L. indica x L. fauriei ) were later (1978 and after) released to the trade.

         

 Credits 

This site was created by Raul I. Cabrera and Dan R. Lineberger, both members of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Agriculture Program at Texas A&M University. Partial funding for this effort was provided by a grant from the Education and Research Foundation of the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association. The professional contribution of Susan Folkert to the searchable database is greatly acknowledged. The support from the board members of the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney Foundation has been invaluable to the development of this site. The cooperation of Dr. Margaret Pooler and Ruth L. Dix from the US National Arboretum is greatly appreciated. Thanks are also extended to Dr. Gary W. Knox (University of Florida) and John Olive and Charles Hesselein (Auburn University) for graciously allowing the taking of photographs from plants in their crape myrtle evaluation trials and collections. Any Copyrighted images are used by permission as indicated on the image.

Send comments or report problems to Raul I. Cabrera ( r-cabrera@tamu.edu ) or Dan Lineberger.