Lagerstroemia, crape myrtle: 7 stunning varieties with mauve and purple flowers.

‘Indyvio Summer Violet’ is part of the ‘Indiya Charms’® series, selected for its early flowering and hardiness (down to -15°C). With an upright and bushy habit, it reaches 4 to 5 m in height and 2 to 3 m in diameter. Its flowering, from July to October, comprises flowers in a deep purplish-violet, arranged in dense panicles. The foliage, red at first, then dark green and matte, takes autumn hues of yellow or red. The bark, smooth, peels in coloured plates in cinnamon, muted red, old-rose, cream tones.

Well suited to colder zones, it fits perfectly as a specimen plant or in a shrub border. To enhance this crape myrtle, a groundcover planting with blue aubrietias, alyssums and silver candytuft is recommended, creating a three-colour effect around its trunk and reflecting its spectacular flowering.

With its low, bushy habit, Lagerstroemia ‘Petite Canaille’ does not exceed 1 m in any direction at maturity. Its flowering, from July to October, consists of short, dense thyrses of mauve flowers. The dark green foliage turns yellow or red in autumn. Its bark is also smooth and coloured.

‘Petite Canaille’ is ideal in a pot, in a bed of dwarf shrubs or a low hedge. It pairs well with plants such as the Campanula pyramidalis and in autumn, it showcases colourful asters. In a pot on the terrace, create at its base a groundcover planting with thyme and oregano that complement it nicely.

‘Eternal With Love’, also known as ‘Milavio’, is the result of a rigorous selection in Italy and France, focusing on disease and cold resistance, as well as on the duration of flowering. From July to October, it bears clusters of vivid violet flowers, with airy inflorescences and undulating petals. Its dark, glossy foliage falls in autumn. This variety, like the others in the With Love range, is ideal for flowering pots, with annual pruning to limit its growth.

Eternal With Love is particularly suited to acclimatising in colder areas than the Southwest gardens. Planted as a specimen or in a mixed border, it pairs well with Forsythias, flowering currants, and Philadelphus coronarius, providing a succession of flowering from spring to autumn. In the ground or in decorative containers, it enhances any outdoor space.

‘Enduring Lavender’ forms a regular, bushy, ball-shaped habit and stays compact. Its abundant flowering is a boon from July to September. Its airy inflorescences, composed of undulating-petalled flowers, contrast with its foliage, which is purple and then dark green. In autumn, the foliage turns red, prolonging the display. This Lagerstroemia requires annual pruning.

Relatively hardy, the crape myrtle ‘Enduring Lavender’ also suits colder regions than the Southwest. It pairs well with tree mallows or Hibiscus syriacus, for a romantic or colourful ambience. Also consider bold Acanthus, similar in cultivation. Autumn asters also accompany its late flowering.

In spring, it displays oval, dark green, leathery leaves up to 8 cm long, which take bronze tones in autumn. In late summer, a lull in flowering for many trees, it becomes a dazzling bouquet with its pyramidal inflorescences, fine as crepe paper. In winter, it reveals a smooth bark in shades of mouse grey, cinnamon and pale pink, peeling in fine slivers.

It is recommended to plant this shrub in spring, after the last frosts, in a sunny and sheltered spot, on rich, cool and well-drained soil, preferably not calcareous. It will benefit from an application of compost and winter protection with leaf litter, especially during its first two winters in cold regions.

To accompany the summer crape myrtle ‘Cordon Bleu’, pair it with perennials that flower at different times to ensure a continuous floral display. Think of shrubs such as roses, which offer a lovely bloom and an interesting colour contrast. Butterfly lavenders (Lavandula stoechas), light in texture and in a colour symbiosis, and tulips are interesting companions.