Crapemyrtle

The crapemyrtle has become a mainstay in mild-climate landscapes because of its ease of production and cultivation, long-lasting mid summer bloom, range of plant habits from miniature potted plant to large tree, and diversity of landscape uses. In addition to its place in the landscape, the introduction of dwarf and miniature cultivars has helped to establish crapemyrtle as a potential floriculture, bedding, or container plant that can be grown in a range of hardiness zones. Important traits for both production and landscape use include flower color and bloom time, plant habit and form, cold hardiness, and disease and pest resistance. Breeding efforts in crapemyrtle should focus on elucidating the inheritance of some of these traits, as well as broadening the genetic base of cultivated Lagerstroemia through interspecific hybridization or direct gene transfer.