Crape Myrtles

Crape myrtle shrubs are a favorite in the South, because these heat-tolerant beauties bloom even in the midst of the intense summer heat, when little else will bloom. Further North (in zone 6, say), crape myrtle trees may die back to the ground in winter, and then re-emerge in spring.... As a result, a plant that becomes a 30' tree in the South may remain a 4' shrub in the North. But you still get to enjoy its fantastic flower clusters!

Here is a link to the University of Georgia Extension Cooperative with a great article with detailed information on planting, watering, fertilizing, and pruning crape myrtles. http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C944/C944.htm