S & J Nursery’s Guide to Growing
Natchez Crape
Myrtle
in the Northeast Florida Landscape
( Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ )
Crape Myrtle Natchez Preferred 
Exposure:
– Full sun is needed for Natchez Crape Myrtles to grow and bloom properly.
Natchez Crape Myrtle Foliage | Bark:
– Deciduous foliage of the Natchez Crape Myrtle turns an orange red color in
the fall before falling off the tree for winter.
– Bark of the Natchez Crape Myrtle is a beautiful cinnamon red brown color and
adds interest to the landscape during its dormant season.
Natchez Crape Myrtle Soil Preference / Salt Tolerance:
– Natchez Crape Myrtles do well in most soils providing they are well
draining.
Natchez Crape Myrtle Size Variance:
– Crape Myrtle Natchez can grow up to 30 feet high and wide
Crape Myrtle Growth Habit:
– Upright spreading rounded growth habit.
Crape Myrtle Natchez Growth Rate:
– Natchez Crape Myrtles are an extremely fast growing cultivar.
Natchez Crape Myrtle Bloom:
– Natchez Crepe Myrtle touts both a large showy white bloom and a longer bloom
season than any Crepe other than Muskogee.
Crape Myrtle Water Requirements:
-Crape Myrtles trees are drought tolerant but will need to be watered well after planting for two weeks to three months in the establishment period depending on the size of the tree being
planted and during prolonged periods of drought after established in the landscape.
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– n/a
Best Uses For Crape Myrtles:
– Few trees make quite the statement in the landscape that a Crape Myrtle can. They bloom for months with little care on our part to keep them looking spectacular. Its little wonder they hold such a place in our hearts and in our gardens.
– Plant them alone as a specimen accent or in groups for added dramatic flare. With so many varieties, colors and sizes to choose from, no southern garden should be without at least one!
– Crape Myrtles are the perfect touch of color when inter planted in
hedge rows for privacy screens or property borders.
– Low maintenance and drought tolerant once established, Crape Myrtles
make excellent commercial plantings for parking lots and street trees.
Care of Crape Myrtles:
– Water every day during the establishment period. See watering your newly planted trees for more information.
-They will need good water during the establishment period and supplemental
irrigation during dry spells or particularly hot dry summers.
– All Crape Myrtles bloom on new wood and should be pruned in winter or early
spring for best bloom.
– Take care to remove basal suckers and small twiggy growth each year on
larger specimens and remove crossing or touching branch growth as well as branches growing towards the center rather than the more desirable growth that grows out and away from other branches.
– During the summer growth season you can choose to trim old blooms and your Crape Myrtle will put out a second lighter and slightly smaller bloom to replace it and prolong your bloom
season.
– Provide a 1 ft diameter circle of mulched area where grass is kept from growing for each inch of caliper (or diameter) of trunk measured 4 inches from the ground level.
– Fertilize each spring with a heaping shovel of compost or a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food, sprinkling the fertilizer around the mulch circle underneath the foliage of the tree.