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

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

Tree varieties include Eureka lemon, pink guava, Golden Delicious apple, coast live oak, olive, crape myrtle, California sycamore, desert willow and torrey pines.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2024

The walls keep to mostly a neutral palette, with the exception of a vibrant pink wallpaper in the library, a color inspired by crape myrtle tree blossoms, Bridges says.

From Washington Post • Feb. 22, 2023

There the team has planted about 25 different species, including Hong Kong orchid trees, Marina strawberry trees, and crape myrtle alongside natives like 'Desert Museum' palo verde.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2022

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