In their respective climates, both subtropical and tropical species are common in domestic and commercial landscapes. The
timber of some species has been used to manufacture bridges, furniture, and
railway sleepers, but in Vietnam's
Cát Tiên National Park, the dominant stands of
Lagerstroemia calyculata in secondary forest are thought to have survived (after episodes of logging) due to the low quality of wood.
Cultivation Certain species of crape myrtle are used in landscaping and gardening as screens, lawn specimens, shrub borders, and container plants. Since crape myrtles are found in many places, opinions differ as to how to cultivate them in landscaping. Crape myrtles are best cultivated in warmer southern climates, U.S. zones 7–9, and prefer full sun. They occur in a variety of flowering colors and size. Crape myrtles might have been considered messy in the past, but their seedpods cannot stain concrete, so are best planted near swimming pools, decks, and sidewalks. The common crape myrtle (
L. indica) from China and Korea was introduced 1790 to
Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States, by French
botanist André Michaux. In the wild, the species is most often found as a multiple-stemmed, large shrub, but 200 years of cultivation have resulted in a huge number of cultivars of widely varying characteristics. Today, crape myrtle varieties can fulfill many landscaping needs, from tidy street trees to dense barrier hedges to fast-growing dwarf types of less than , which can go from seed to bloom in a season (allowing gardeners in places where the plant is not winter-hardy to still enjoy the intense colors of the frilly flowers). In Europe, crape myrtle is common in the south of France, the
Iberian Peninsula, and most of Italy; in the United States, it is an iconic plant of gardens across the
Southern United States. It has been cultivated in many parts of Australia, but is most common in the areas of the country with a Mediterranean climate such as the south-east and west. . While not as widely known, the Japanese crape myrtle,
L. fauriei, from central and southern Japan, is becoming increasingly important, both as a landscaping plant and as a parent in complex hybrids with
L. indica. This species is distinctly tree-like, with colorful, deciduous bark and dark green leaves, which are more resistant to fungal diseases than are those of its more popular relative. The Japanese name for this tree is , which refers to the smooth, slippery bark. Flowers are as large as those of
L. indica, but are white with only the slightest pink flush appearing in some individuals. Japanese crape myrtle is hardier to cold than many strains of
L. indica, a characteristic (along with fungal resistance, tree form, and colorful bark) that makes it valuable as genetic material for hybridization. Cultivars available include 'Kiowa', 'Fantasy', and 'Townhouse'.
L. speciosa, known as queen crape myrtle, giant crape myrtle, or
banabá, originates in subtropical and tropical India. It can be grown in any similar climate, but in the United States is suitable only for
Florida, southernmost Texas, South Louisiana, coastal southern California, and
Hawaii. It is a large evergreen tree with colorful rosy-mauve flowers and striking white bark, suitable for public parks and avenues; only the seed-grown species is commonly available for sale, unlike
L. indica and
L. fauriei, which have dozens of cultivars. CrapeMyrtleSummer.jpg|Crape myrtle during summer in
Sombrerete, Mexico CrapeMyrtleFall.jpg|Same tree during fall ==References==