Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a very good-natured tree. While well-prepared soil is best, the trees will grow in poor soil; they tolerate drought, though they flower better if well watered; and they require little maintenance. Yearly pruning any time during the late winter or early spring before growth begins will encourage blooming, since the flowers form on new growth.
Crape myrtles are a popular flowering tree in the Washington area, and we are now seeing the very last of the blooms, which tells us that autumn is setting in.
Posted by Passante 
