Crape myrtle

Crape myrtle (genus Lagerstroemia) is a non-native flowering evergreen which is recognized as the official tree of Birmingham.

The genus includes about fifty individual species native to Southeast Asia, India and the Pacific, many of which are cultivated as ornamental trees in the United States. The scientific name, Lagerstroemia, honors Swedish merchant Magnus von Lagerström, who collected plants for botanist Carolus Linnaeus.

The trees are favored for their sprays of bold flowers in white, light or deep pink or purple, which last for much of the summer. Their crinkled petals resemble crêpes or crepe paper ("Crape" and "crepe" are both Anglicizations of the French "crêpe". The first has been generally accepted for Lagerstroemia)

A wide range of sizes are cultivated, with some specimens capable of reaching over 100 feet tall. Most species grow with multiple trunks wrapped in smooth paper-like bark which sheds irregularly, giving the trunk a light-colored mottled appearance. The simple leaves also vary in size, from 2 to 8 inches in length, with some varieties changing color in the autumn months.