Sarah's Favorite Crape Myrtle

Sarah's Favorite Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia x fauriei 'Sarah's Favorite')

Sarah's Favorite Crape Myrtle brings clean white summer bloom, attractive bark, and a more upright tree-like presence to sunny landscapes. It offers the long flowering season crape myrtles are valued for, while also adding structure and multi-season interest that make it useful beyond bloom alone. This selection works especially well where you want a refined ornamental tree for lawns, driveways, large borders, or prominent foundation corners. As it matures, it becomes a dependable focal plant with strong seasonal character.

Distinctive Features

Sarah's Favorite Crape Myrtle is prized for its abundant white flower clusters, upright habit, and handsome exfoliating bark in cinnamon, tan, and gray tones. It is closely compared to Natchez but is often described as slightly more upright and somewhat more cold tolerant. Mature size is commonly reported around 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, with larger growth possible in favorable climates. Glossy green foliage often develops orange-red to red fall color, extending the display well past summer.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Plant in full sun for the best flowering, strongest branching, and cleanest foliage.
• Soil: Grow in well-drained soil and adapt it to a range of average garden soils, including clay, as long as drainage is reliable.
• Water: Water regularly during establishment, then provide moderate moisture, with good drought tolerance once established.
• Zones: Hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 9.
• Habit: Expect an upright, deciduous small tree or large shrub with a broadening canopy over time.

Ideal Uses

• Specimen Planting: Use it as a stand-alone ornamental where its white flowers, upright form, and bark can be fully appreciated.
• Focal Point: Place it in a prominent sunny location where the bright summer bloom and strong structure can anchor the landscape.
• Driveway or Lawn Tree: Use it in open lawns or along long drives where a flowering tree with a refined canopy is needed.
• Foundation Framing: Plant it at larger building corners where added height and seasonal color help balance the scale of the structure.
• Mixed Borders: Combine it with evergreens, shrubs, and perennials to add vertical structure and multi-season appeal to layered plantings.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Deep watering during the first growing seasons helps establish a stronger root system and improves drought tolerance later.
• Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to shape the canopy, remove crossing branches, and maintain a clean natural framework.
• Mulching: Apply mulch around the base to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and moderate soil temperatures.
• Feeding: Fertilize lightly in spring if needed, since excessive feeding can encourage foliage at the expense of flowering.
• Spacing: Give it enough room for mature height and spread so the plant can develop stronger branching, cleaner bark display, and better airflow.

Why Choose Sarah's Favorite Crape Myrtle?

• Elegant White Bloom: Crisp white flowers bring a bright, clean look that works easily across many landscape styles.
• Strong Upright Form: Its taller, more tree-like habit makes it useful where compact crape myrtles do not provide enough presence.
• Attractive Bark: Exfoliating bark adds major value after flowering season and helps the plant remain ornamental through winter.
• Improved Garden Performance: Good disease resistance and strong heat tolerance support dependable landscape use.
• Multi-Season Interest: Summer flowers, fall color, and ornamental bark make it a long-term contributor in sunny plantings.

Sarah's Favorite Crape Myrtle is an excellent choice for landscapes that need summer bloom along with the structure and durability of a larger ornamental plant. Its white flowers and handsome bark give it a more refined character, while its mature size allows it to function as more than a simple flowering accent. For sunny residential and commercial settings, it offers lasting beauty with broad design flexibility.