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| Natchez crape myrtle (Photo by Allen Owings, LSU AgCenter) |
The premier crape myrtle in Louisiana historically has been Natchez.
This tall-growing variety was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Arboretum in the late 1970s and has become the industry standard.
Plants reach 35-40 feet tall at maturity and are among the first crape myrtles to flower in May. Flowers last through the summer. The chocolate-colored exfoliating bark is another great landscape feature of this plant.
Crape myrtles do best in well-drained soil and need eight hours of direct sun daily to bloom well.
Allen Owings
Rick Bogren