Biloxi Crepe Myrtle

Biloxi Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia 'Biloxi') is the crepe myrtle to choose when you want a genuine tree rather than a tall shrub. It grows to about 6m tall and 4m wide, carries soft pink flowers through summer, colours in autumn, then drops its leaves to reveal smooth cinnamon toned bark that carries the winter. As a mildew resistant hybrid it keeps its foliage clean in humid summers where older varieties turn grey with powdery mildew.

Why you'll love it

• Crepe myrtle at tree scale. At 6m it reads as a true small tree, tall enough to walk and park under, ideal where most crepe myrtles top out too low.
• Soft pink summer flowers. Generous trusses of crepe textured bloom arrive in the hottest months, when little else in the garden is performing.
• Cinnamon bark in winter. The smooth, mottled trunks make the bare season a feature rather than a gap, after warm autumn foliage.
• Mildew resistant. Bred to shrug off the powdery mildew that dusts older crepe myrtles in humid districts.
• Easy to live with. Non invasive roots, tolerance of heat, drought, frost and poor soil, and it is considered non toxic to pets.

Where it works best

Driveways and avenues. Its height and clean trunks suit repeat planting. Space avenue trees about 4m to 5m apart so the mature crowns just touch.

Feature planting. A single multi trunked specimen gives flowers, autumn colour and winter bark from one position in the garden.

A shade tree for smaller blocks. The canopy shades a seating area or window through summer, then drops its leaves and lets winter sun through.

Growing Biloxi Crepe Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. It performs in subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean climates, flowering hardest where summers run hot, and it is fully frost hardy once established.

Soil. Remarkably unfussy. Any drained soil works, including poor ones; enrich the planting hole with compost to speed establishment.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, after which it is reliably drought tolerant. A light feed of controlled release fertiliser in spring is ample.

Pruning. Less than you think. It flowers on new season growth, so a light tidy in late winter is all it needs. Resist hard lopping, which ruins the branch structure and the bark display that make this tree worth having.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Biloxi in 400mm and 500mm pots and as advanced 75L, 100L and 200L trees, so it arrives with real structure rather than as a whip. It is deciduous: winter deliveries arrive bare branched, showing that cinnamon bark, and leaf out in spring. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect flowers in the first or second summer as the roots take hold, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the full crepe myrtle care guide.
• Learn what crepe myrtles do in winter.
• Compare varieties in the crepe myrtle collection.
• Browse more driveway trees.

Common questions

How is Biloxi different from other crepe myrtles?

Height and health. Most garden crepe myrtles finish between 3m and 5m; Biloxi reaches about 6m with a tree like form, and its hybrid breeding gives strong resistance to powdery mildew in humid summers.

Does it lose its leaves in winter?

Yes, it is deciduous. The foliage colours in autumn, drops, and leaves the smooth cinnamon bark on display until the spring flush. Planted north of a window, that means summer shade and winter sun.

Should I prune it hard each winter?

No. Hard lopping produces coarse regrowth, fewer well placed flowers and permanent scarring. A light late winter tidy, removing spent heads and crossing twigs, keeps it flowering and keeps its shape.

Is it safe to plant near a driveway or paving?

Yes. The root system is non invasive, which is part of why crepe myrtles are standard avenue and street trees. Allow for the 4m crown when setting the planting line.