Lagerstroemia
genus of plants
Lagerstroemia (), commonly known as crape myrtle (also commonly spelled crepe myrtle, crape-myrtle, or crapemyrtle), is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. It is a member of the family Lythraceae, which is also known as the loosestrife family. These flowering trees are often planted both privately and commercially as ornamentals.
Etymology
The genus Lagerstroemia was first described by Carl Linnaeus. It is named after Swedish merchant Magnus von Lagerström, a director of the Swedish East India Company, who supplied Linnaeus with plants he collected.
Description
Crape myrtles are chiefly known for their colorful and long-lasting flowers, which occur in summer. Most species of Lagerstroemia have sinewy, fluted stems and branches with a mottled appearance that arises from having bark that sheds throughout the year. Its leaves come in pairs, one located directly across from the other on the stem, each leaf consisting of a single smooth-edged blade, varying in size from 5–20 cm (2–8 in). While all species are woody in nature, they can range in height from over 30 m (100 ft) to under 30 cm (1 ft); most, however, are small to medium, multiple-trunked trees and shrubs. The leaves of temperate species provide autumn color.
The public source identifies “Lagerstroemia” as genus of plants. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Lagerstroemia, genus and plants.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q775229. The Library of Congress control number is sh85073944. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Lagerstroemia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.