Catawba Crape Myrtle Tree

Catawba Crape Myrtle – Bold Purple Color from Summer to Frost

If you want a tree that earns its place in the landscape every single month of the year, the Catawba Crape Myrtle delivers. Known for its exceptionally rich, deep purple blooms — among the darkest of any crape myrtle variety — Catawba puts on a show from midsummer straight through fall, then transitions into stunning crimson-orange foliage before revealing its beautifully exfoliating bark in winter. Four seasons of interest, one tree.

Why Catawba Stands Out

• Deepest purple blooms available – Rich violet-purple flower clusters that hold their color even in intense summer heat.
• Exceptionally long bloom season – Flowers from July through September; deadheading encourages repeat flushes.
• Brilliant fall foliage – Leaves turn vivid orange-red in autumn for a second season of color.
• Ornamental winter bark – Smooth, peeling cinnamon-colored bark adds sculptural interest when the tree is bare.
• Drought-tolerant once established – Thrives in heat and dry conditions; ideal for low-water landscapes.
• Pollinator magnet – Attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds throughout the bloom season.
• Versatile form – Works as a specimen tree, flowering hedge, border anchor, or street tree.

Landscape Uses

• Specimen focal point in lawn or garden beds
• Flowering privacy hedge or border planting
• Driveway or walkway lining
• Poolside or patio accent tree
• Mixed shrub border with contrasting foliage colors

Picture it: a July afternoon, your yard alive with deep purple blooms swaying in the breeze, butterflies drifting from cluster to cluster. Come October, those same branches are ablaze in orange-red. That’s the Catawba Crape Myrtle — a tree that never stops giving.

Growing Guide

• Zones: USDA 6–10
• Light: Full sun (6+ hours daily) — essential for maximum blooming
• Water: Regular watering in year one; drought-tolerant once established
• Soil: Well-draining; adaptable to clay, loam, and sandy soils
• Mature size: 15–25 ft. tall, 6–15 ft. wide (varies by pruning)
• Pruning tip: Avoid “crape murder” (topping). Light shaping in late winter is all that’s needed for a natural, graceful form.

Available Sizes

Choose from a 3-Gallon starter or a 4–5 ft. tree — both container-grown for easy establishment and a strong head start on blooming.

Love Crape Myrtles? Try This Next

For a compact, front-of-border companion, pair Catawba with the Bellini® Grape Crape Myrtle — a dwarf shrub form with the same deep purple blooms, perfect for layering in front of your Catawba for a cohesive, multi-height purple display.