It can be grown from seed as easily as zinnias! Very simple. Park Seeds catalog offers it in mixed colors. Grow as an annual in the north, perennial in the south.

i have started it from cuttings in early spring with almost no trouble, i watch close for volunteer plants close to the parent plant and transplant then into containers to get them started. none of mine are dwarf

I root all Crepes in late June through July with no problem at all. Put potting soil mixed with some sand and chopped leaves, take a cutting about 6" long FROM THE BLOOMING TIP END, strip one third of the leaves off the cutting, stick into powdered rooting hormone, shake off any excess hormone. I use a pencil to make holes in the soil and stick them down just shy of the first leaf, water well and put them in the shade. Keep moist and they will root. Never let them dry out. I use 10" pots for 5 cuttings. In about 6 to 8 weeks they have roots, and I pot them up. It can be done at other times of the year, but this is what works best for me. Hope it helps you:)

I keep trying (with clippings)... should the leaves start wilting right after being planted? or does that mean they are dying and it didnt work? I used softwood clippings and they were dipped in rooting medium, however Ive been putting them in miracle grow potting soil....

Angie, I stuck three cuttings in a one quart pot last July dipped in rooting hormome. One died and two lived. I covered the cuttings with a 2 liter soda bottle with the bottom cut off and left the top off. I also kept the cuttings in the shade. The soda bottle helps maintain a high humidity atmosphere and will help the cuttings hold their leaves. The leaves are needed to help form roots. I have rooted roses that lost their leaves right after they were stuck.

I put in 5, 5 years ago and they are always having babies. I have transplanted a couple of them, but now pull them out (sorry)

I'll try the soda bottle....Thanks!

You can get CMs in just about any color, size, and shape. If you don't find any in local stores, try some of the mail order sources. I have one (a Hopi, if I remember correctly) that's a wonderful true pink and is a rounded 8' tree and still growing. There are other varieties that are about the size you want and are upright forms. Just search and read descriptions. Move the little one somewhere else while it's still small and plant one that will grow to the size you want.

There's a database of Crape varieties on this page- you can fill in the size and color and it will give you any cultivars that fit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crape Myrtle Society Home Page

I bought a dwarf CM called "Tonto" a few weeks ago. It's a really nice red and is about 2' high at purchase. Got it at the local Lowe's. Supposed to top out at 5-6'. We'll see.

My Tonto's are at least 12' right now.

Heh,heh,heh. Yeah, they will lie on them plant container cards a little, won't they? That's why I made the comment after 5-6 feet. :)

The problem I've always had with crape myrtles is that many of the crape myrtle website will say something like Size: 5-15 feet. Well there's a BIG difference between 5 and 15 feet so you might rule out a variety because you're afraid it might get too large or stay too small. I have ripped out so many crape myrtles because they got larger than advertised. I don't know why it's so hard for growers to provide accurate mature sizes. You can find the same variety on several websites, and each one will advertise a different mature size. Drives me nuts!
Another thing about crape myrtles is the suckering from the roots around the trunk on some varieties. I have one right now that I fight every summer cutting down all the little suckers, and the more I cut, the more new ones that come up. Wish I didn't like it so much cause I'd sure cut it down if I didn't.

We had a hard winter in NE Oklahoma. The dwarf crepe myrtles I planted looks like they did not survive the winter. New growth is coming up from the bottom. Should I go ahead and cut off what looks to be dead tops, or should I leave it until fall and then cut it back?

Take a knife and scrape a thin layer of bark off the "dead" branches. If the layer underneath is green, they are still alive: leave them alone. If it is brown, take scrapings every six inches toward the center of the plant to see if part of the branch is still alive. If you find green wood, cut at the first node above the green wood. If it's brown all the way to the center, cut it at ground level. The suckers will come up and replace the dead parts over time.

Or....you can leave the whole thing alone until mid summer. If any new growth comes off the dead parts, cut out the dead above it. Otherwise, remove the dead branches.

Sorry to hijack this post, but I need advice on a dwarf crepe too. I bought one of the cherry dazzle dwarf crepes a couple of summers ago. It's grown, but not significantly. I realize with a dwarf variety it might not grow quickly, or really much at all. However, it's only bloomed a tiny bit since it's been in the ground. It's got lots of nice new leaves, but not even the hint of buds. It's in morning sun....gets plenty of water. Any suggestions? Maybe it needs a good fertilizer?

Crape Myrtles love it just a little on the acidic side. Side dress with 1 T. epsom salt to a gallon of water and pour around the CM trees. In early spring, I put about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of 10-10-10 granular fertlizer around the tree, (not at the base, but about a foot away). Water in thoroughly. The bigger the tree, the more fertilizer I spread. It can use about 1/4 cup more about late June or early July. Do not get heavy handed as it can cause too lush growth and encourage powdery mildew. Just the right amount will bring new growth and blooms.

By the way, CM's are easy to root in water too. Just watch for the roots and then place in potting soil; wait about a week or two before transitioning it outside to harden off. Love those Crape Myrtles!!