crape myrtle

American  

Or crepe myrtle

noun

1. a tall Chinese shrub, Lagerstroemia indica, of the loosestrife family, having clusters of crinkled red, pink, purple, or white flowers, grown as an ornamental in the southern and western U.S.

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crape myrtle British  

noun

1. an oriental lythraceous shrub, Lagerstroemia indica, cultivated in warm climates for its pink, red, or white flowers

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Etymology

Origin of crape myrtle

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crape myrtle

Rather than basing the one-sheet around Lee Byung Hun’s scheming, murderous Man-su, she emphasized a blooming crape myrtle tree, a reference to the protagonist’s garden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

And don’t replace them with something like crape myrtle, which is pretty but doesn’t offer much shade for the space it takes up.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025

Experts who have studied the spread say that, in towns and metropolitan areas, infestation rates can reach 80 to 100 percent of crape myrtle trees.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2023

Because the trees are not native to North America, the crape myrtle bark scale doesn’t have a wide range of natural predators to help keep it under control.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2023

One day a few years earlier, brilliant pink blossoms bloomed on the crape myrtle that Connie had planted in our yard.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson