Yuma Crepe Myrtle

Yuma Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia 'Yuma') is a lavender flowering shade tree that stops at about 5m tall and 4m wide, small enough for a suburban front garden and big enough to sit under. It flowers through the hottest weeks of summer, colours up before dropping its leaves in autumn, and spends winter as a clean frame of smooth mottled bark. The roots are non-invasive, so it can go closer to paths and paving than most trees its size.

Why you'll love it

• Lavender flowers when little else is trying. Soft purple panicles open over weeks through midsummer, when most flowering trees have finished.
• A shade tree that actually fits. About 5m tall and 4m across gives real canopy over a seat or a car space without overwhelming a standard block.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Fibrous and non-invasive, a sensible choice near driveways, paths and services.
• Tough and safe. Frost hardy, heat tolerant and drought tolerant once established, not toxic to cats or dogs, and a reliable draw for bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

Shade over a small garden. Planted 3m to 4m out from the house it throws useful summer shade on a west facing wall, then drops its leaves and lets the winter sun back in.

Driveways and avenues. Space plants 4m to 5m apart, matched to the mature spread, so each canopy keeps its outline instead of merging into a tunnel.

Feature planting. A single tree in a lawn or at the corner of a front garden gives a full sized specimen at a scale a small block can carry.

Growing Yuma Crepe Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, without exception. In shade it flowers poorly, grows leggy and picks up powdery mildew. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and mediterranean gardens, is frost hardy once established, and handles hot dry summers well.

Soil. Any reasonably drained soil suits it. Work compost through the planting hole, raise the bed on heavy clay, and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then taper right off, because an established crepe myrtle is genuinely drought tolerant. A complete controlled release fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. Prune in winter when the branches are bare. Remove spent flower heads, thin crossing branches, and lift the lower limbs gradually for clear trunks. Cutting the canopy back to stubs each year produces whippy growth and weak joints.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown as tube stock, so be clear about what that means before ordering. A tube plant is a young single stemmed seedling only a few hand spans tall, and it needs roughly five years in a sunny position before it functions as a shade tree. The trade off is that tube stock is the least expensive way to plant an avenue.

Because it is deciduous, a tube ordered between late autumn and early spring arrives as a bare stem with no leaves, which is dormancy rather than a fault. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect the first strong growth in the spring after planting, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete crepe myrtle care guide
• Compare every crepe myrtle we grow
• Shop trees suited to driveways
• Choosing trees to line a driveway

Common questions

How big does it actually get?

About 5m tall and 4m wide in an open sunny position with reasonable soil. It is a small tree rather than a shrub, so give it room from the outset.

How far apart should I plant an avenue?

Four to five metres apart, matched to the mature spread. Any closer and the canopies grow into each other and lose the vase shape that makes an avenue of crepe myrtles worth planting.

Will it lose its leaves in winter?

Yes. The foliage colours in autumn and drops, leaving bare branches until spring. That is what you want over a patio or a north facing window, since it lets winter sun through.