Hopi Crepe Myrtle

Hopi Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Hopi') is the semi dwarf crepe myrtle for gardens without room for a full sized tree. It settles at about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, which puts it comfortably under power lines and inside a courtyard. Clear medium pink flowers cover it right through summer, the foliage turns orange in autumn, and the bare winter framework shows off mottled cinnamon and grey bark.

Why you'll love it

• Three seasons of interest. Pink flowers all summer, orange foliage in autumn, then patterned bark on a sculptural bare frame through winter.
• Mildew resistance you can see. Its hybrid parentage keeps the leaves clean, so you avoid the grey film that plagues older varieties in humid gardens.
• It fits a small garden. At roughly 3m by 2.5m it works as a courtyard feature or a street tree under wires, where a standard crepe myrtle needs constant cutting.
• Safe around cats and dogs. Crepe myrtles are not toxic to pets, which makes this an easy choice for a family garden.

Where it works best

Feature planting in small gardens. One plant carries a courtyard or a front garden on its own. Give it 2.5m to 3m of clear space and let the multi trunked shape develop.

Driveways and avenues. For a matched row, plant 3m apart. That keeps each canopy distinct while the flowering reads as a continuous band from the street.

Pots and containers. A pot 500mm or wider suits it, and container growing holds it closer to 2m. Potted plants dry out fast in summer.

Growing Hopi Crepe Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, without compromise. Shade produces few flowers and a leggy shape. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, and is frost hardy once established. In the wet tropics the humidity and mild winter cut the flowering and the autumn colour.

Soil. Well drained soil of almost any type. Work compost through the bed at planting, and on heavy clay raise the planting position. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunks.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off, as it is drought and heat tolerant from the second season. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring. Avoid heavy nitrogen in summer, which costs you flowers.

Pruning. Prune in late winter while it is bare. Take out crossing stems, shorten last season's flowering wood by about a third, and leave the main trunks alone so the bark keeps developing. Resist the hard stubbing back sometimes done to crepe myrtles.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four sizes: 200mm pots in packs of six, 300mm, 25L and 45L. The 200mm packs suit a driveway row. A 300mm plant is a good single garden size, and the 25L and 45L plants arrive as formed small trees, usually flowering in their first summer with you.

Crepe myrtles are deciduous, so a plant delivered between late autumn and early spring will arrive bare stemmed. That is dormancy, and it is actually the best time to plant one. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect 30cm to 50cm of growth a year, backed by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete crepe myrtle care guide
• Compare crepe myrtle varieties by colour and size
• Small trees for urban gardens
• More plants that are safe around pets

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Crepe myrtles are not toxic to cats or dogs, so it is a sound choice for a garden where pets have free run.

Why is mine not flowering?

Nearly always too much shade, or pruning at the wrong time. It needs full sun, and because it flowers on new growth, pruning in spring or summer removes the buds. Prune in late winter instead.

Will it get powdery mildew?

It is far more resistant than the older varieties, though no crepe myrtle is completely immune. Full sun and good air movement around the plant are the practical safeguards.