Purple Crape Myrtle

Twilight Large Purple Crape Myrtle Tree

Sometimes your yard just needs a dash of purple.

The five leading purple crape myrtles are:

1. Twilight – which exceeds 30 feet

2. Catawba which grows to about 20 to 25 feet

3. Zuni purple crape myrtle grows twelve to fifteen feet tall.

3. Dwarf Centennial – a purple arching crape that reaches about three feet

4. Royal Velvet – a deep purple precisely as named, almost the color of royal robes! It reaches a little over three feet.

5. Powhaten – fifteen to eighteen feet tall. Broad tree shape.

6. Muskogee is a Lavender Crape, not a true purple but because it is one of the most popular crapes and a USDA National Arboretum Crape it is included here.

Purple crapes are generally later blooming crapes, though Royal Velvet is the first of the four to bloom. Enjoy these beautiful crapes.

Twilight Large Purple Crape Myrtle

Twilight purple crape myrtle reaches over 40 feet tall.

Twilight. Fifteen to eighteen feet tall. Small broad tree shape, introduced by the USDA National Arboretum.

Twilight purple crape myrtle reaches over 40 feet tall. This park is north of Baylor Hospital and across the street from the Meadows Foundation. In the summer when the wind blows the purple blossoms rain down like purple snow.

Wilson House Wilson Historic Distric Dallas Texas

Twilight purple crape myrtle reaches over 40 feet tall.

This lovely purple crape myrtle accents the pink brick beautifully. The only problem? Did not plant more!!! I bet the home owner wishes they had! I believe this is a Twilight, pruned up with more growth ahead of it.

Multi-colored Purple Crapes at World Park

Will have more on this lovely park planted totally in Twilight Purple Crape Myrtles. After the harsh, cold winter the purple crapes are slow to bloom this year.

Catawba Crape Myrtle

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Catawba has globular elongated pannicles. Its leaves are wide and very thick.

Hardy Lavender Crape Myrtles

Hardy lavender on a standard trunk. Shortest bloom time of any crape at 75 days. Small pannicles, little or no rebloom associated with this tree. Late bloomer, short blooming season.

When a crape myrtle is pruned to a single trunk it is known as a ‘standard.’ This grove has been pruned to a single trunk.

Zuni Crape Myrtles

Zuni Crape Myrtle Wide vase like growth.

Zuni Crape Myrtle reaches ten to fifteen feet in the Dallas area. This purple crape was introduced by the USDA National Arboretum. Like Tuskegee and Tonto, you can expect this crape to be almost as wide as it is tall.

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Zuni Crape Myrtle. Wide purple crape with large pannicles.

Zuni Planted with Tuskegee. The two broad crapes that can be expected to be almost as wide as they are tall.

Not sure this is a Zuni, it is a bit deeper in color and a bit larger than a Zuni. It seems to have a similar growth habit to the Dallas Red Crape Myrtle …. The two broad crapes that can be expected to be almost as wide as they are tall. For the Dallas Red in the back ground it appears two or three crapes were planted together. The impact is impressive.

Muskogee Lavender or Light Purple Crape Myrtle

Read more about the Muskogee Crape Myrtle here. The Muskogee is one of the last crape myrtles to bloom. While the purple crapes are generally later blooming crapes, the Muskogee is the last of the purples. Bashan’s Party Pink is a pale lavendar pink and one of the first crapes to bloom. Read more about both Bashan’s Party Pink (which I do not recommend) and Muskogee lavender crape myrtle (which I do recommend).

Below is a hacked Muskogee Crape Myrtle. This is ‘crape murder.’ The Muskogee above represents the natural and beautiful shape of the crape.

Muskogee Lavender Crape Myrtle. Large panicles on weeping branches similar to the branch structure of the Natchez White Crape Myrtle. Reaches 30 feet tall. Introduced by the USDA National Arboretum. The most popular of the lavender/purple crapes. A crape that has been pruned like this will be slow to rebloom and have stunted reblooms.

Apalachee Crape Myrtle

Apalachee. Fifteen to Eighteen Feet. Upright tree. Introduced by the USDA National Arboretum.

Miniature Purple Crape Myrtles

Two Purple Miniature Crape Myrtles: Velma and Petite Orchid

Velma Purple miniature crape. Reaches no more than four feet tall. Petite orchid is small in size.

Velma, Royalty and Petite Orchid – Miniature Purple Crape Myrtles. Velma is the deeper purple by about two shades.

Velma, Royalt and Petite Orchid - Miniature Purple Crape Myrtles

Mniature crape myrtle: Centennial (not to be confused with Centennial Spirit). Miniatures are more shrub like while dwarf are small replicas of larger crapes.

Velour Series of Crape Myrtles

The Velour series of crapes come of party colors. These crapes are notable for their lush confetti colored pannicles.

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Two shades from the Velour series a deep lavender and Pink Velour behind.

Centennial Miniature Crape Myrtle

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Miniature Crape Myrtle Centennial. Profuse bloomer with large panicles.

Unknown below – May be a young Twilight – I suspect.

Royal Purple Velvet

If you look at the sized of the trunks these appear to be quite mature and most likely at their maximum height. This is one of the lushest blooming crapes I have ever seen.

Catawba with large globular, elongate panicles.

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http://leeanntorrans.com/purple-crape-myrtles/ Zuni

This fascinating crape is a mixture of three varieties. It gives you an idea of the blooming time and colors of the three which I believe to be: Catawba, Sioux, Red Rocket, Pink ??? — though cannot be sure. Will know more as the season moves forward.