Everything You Need to Know About Twilight Crape Myrtle Trees
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Crape Myrtle trees are beloved for their year-round visual interest thanks to their striking flowers, eye-catching mottled bark, and multi-trunk shrub growth. Twilight Crape Myrtle trees take it to a whole new level, producing large, crinkly, deep-purple blooms all summer long. Their large stature, deep color, and exceptionally long-lasting blooming season make them a must-have, either for a stunning privacy screen, foundation plant, or single specimen.
Twilight Crape Myrtle Trees at a Glance
Appearance
Twilight Crape Myrtle trees grow as multi-stemmed shrubs with upright branches, but they can be pruned to a single-stemmed, more tree-like structure. Their oval leaves provide year-round interest—bronze in the spring transitioning to green in the summer and orange and red in the fall.
Twilight Crape Myrtle trees grow larger than other species, as tall as 15-25 feet at maturity, with a spread of 10-15 feet. They stand out for their crinkly, deep-purple flowers—the deepest purple blooms of any crape myrtle tree. You can enjoy the blooms all summer long.
Specifications
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Appearance |
Grows naturally as multi-stemmed shrub but can be pruned to single stem. Oval leaves are bronze in spring, green in summer, and orange and red in fall and have upright growth. Large, crinkly purple blossoms throughout summer. Bark peels from gray to light pink to a dark reddish-brown |
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Height |
15-25 feet |
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Hardiness Zones |
Zones 7-10 |
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Type of tree |
Deciduous |
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Sunlight requirements |
Full sun to partial shade |
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Soil composition |
Acidic, well-drained soil, pH level of 5-6.5 |
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones indicate the regions where different plants thrive, based on relative low temperatures in winter. Zones 7-10 are ideal for Twilight Crape Myrtles, especially across the Southeast.
Planting
The best time to plant Twilight Crape Myrtle trees is late fall or early spring. Choose a site that receives full sunlight and amend your soil if necessary. Pull any weeds and remove any turfgrass or debris. Dig a hole about three times the width and depth of your root ball. Remove the root ball from the container, and loosen it up with your fingers.
Place the root ball so that its top edge is slightly above the surrounding soil level. Backfill the hole with native soil, gently tamping it down to remove any air pockets. Water the area up to the depth of the root ball.
If you plan to plant a privacy screen, plant the trees 10-12 feet apart.
Growing Conditions
Twilight Crape Myrtles can grow in a range of light and tolerate drought but have some soil preferences.
Sun and shade
Twilight Crape Myrtles thrive in full sunlight—at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day. They can grow in partial shade as well, but they will flower less.
Soil
Twilight Crape Myrtle trees thrive in well-drained, acidic soil with a pH level ranging from 5-6.5. Most plants thrive at a pH level of 6.5-7, so you may need to amend your soil. Applying sulfur can make your soil more acidic.
Watering
Twilight Crape Myrtles are drought-tolerant when they are established, but you should water them once a week after they’ve just been planted to help encourage deep, strong roots. After a few months, you can reduce watering to once or twice a month at a depth of six inches.
Fertilizing
Feed your tree with a nitrogen-rich, slow-release fertilizer in the spring as soon as the leaves emerge and then again in early fall. Choose a balanced fertilizer with an NPK value of 10-10-10 or 8-8-8.
Pruning
Twilight Crape Myrtles don’t require pruning, but cutting them back can help create a denser canopy and produce even more deep-purple flowers. The best time for pruning is late winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do the trees bloom for?
Twilight Crape Myrtle trees bloom all summer long.
What color are the flowers?
The blossoms are deep purple.
How much sun do they need?
They can grow in full sunlight to partial shade, but less sun means they will produce fewer flowers.
Do they attract birds?
Yes, Twighlight Crape Myrtle trees attract hummingbirds as well as pollinators like butterflies and bees.
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