Pink Crepe Myrtle

Pink Crepe Myrtle 'Zuni' (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei 'Zuni') is the crepe myrtle for gardens with no room for a crepe myrtle. It settles at about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, and covers itself in crinkled mid pink to lavender flowers from mid summer into autumn. The leaves then turn orange and red before dropping to reveal smooth mottled bark, so it earns its space in three seasons out of four.

Why you'll love it

• Months of flower, not weeks. Flowering runs from mid summer through autumn, the stretch when most gardens have gone quiet.
• Small enough for a real backyard. At 3m by 2.5m it fits a courtyard, a front bed or a large pot without overhanging the neighbour's roof.
• Roots that behave. Non invasive, so it can go near paving, a driveway edge or a service line.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant once established and untroubled by poor soil.
• Safe around pets, good for bees. Not toxic to cats or dogs, and the flowers are worked steadily by bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

A feature tree for a small garden. One plant in a front bed or a courtyard corner carries the whole summer. Give it 3m of clear space and full sun.

Pots and containers. The compact frame suits a half wine barrel or a pot 500mm and up, and potted plants flower just as hard.

Borders and edging. A loose group of three at 2.5m to 3m apart reads as a flowering edge to a lawn or driveway. It is deciduous with an open winter frame, so it is not a screening choice.

Growing Pink Crepe Myrtle 'Zuni' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day is not negotiable if you want the flower load. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, which covers Brisbane through Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. It is frost hardy, and a cold winter sharpens the autumn colour.

Soil. Not fussy, and it copes with poor ground better than most flowering trees, but it does want drainage. On clay, plant on a raised mound with compost through the bed and mulch 75mm deep away from the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first two summers, then only in extended dry spells. Feed once in early spring. Avoid heavy nitrogen, which pushes leaf at the expense of flower.

Pruning. Prune in late winter while the plant is bare. Take out crossing wood and shorten last season's growth lightly. Resist the hard annual heading some people give crepe myrtles: it ruins the frame and the bark, and it is not needed for flowering.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in six sizes: 300mm and 400mm pots, then 25L, 45L, 100L and 200L. The 300mm and 25L plants are young and establish quickly. The 45L and larger sizes arrive with a formed head and generally flower in their first summer with you.

If your plant arrives in winter or early spring it will be bare or barely in leaf. That is normal for a deciduous tree, not a fault. Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare the full crepe myrtle range
• A beginner's guide to pruning
• When to plant a tree in your climate
• Preparing your soil before planting

Common questions

How tall does it really get?

About 3m tall and 2.5m wide in a garden. It is a semi dwarf hybrid, noticeably smaller than Natchez or Miami, and one of the few crepe myrtles that will not outgrow a courtyard.

Why is mine not flowering?

Almost always shade or too much nitrogen. Crepe myrtles need full sun all day, and lawn fertiliser drifting into the bed gives you a leafy plant with few flowers.

Does it lose its leaves?

Yes, it is deciduous. You get autumn colour, then a bare winter frame with mottled bark, then fresh growth in spring.