White Crape Myrtle Varieties

Types and Size

• Acoma is a crape myrtle cultivar growing between 2- and 10-feet tall. Another cultivar featuring white flowers is Petite Snow, a dwarf form growing to 4 or 5 feet tops. Natchez sometimes grows close to 20-feet tall; in some instances, its diameter equals its height. Pixie White shows how it got its name by staying between 12 and 24 inches high, while Bicolor grows twice that size. Despite its name, Splash of Pink generates some white flowers, growing to as big as 10-feet tall.

Features

• The flowers on the crape myrtles emerge during the summer, often lasting into September. Bicolor's flowers are a combination of white and pink shades. Those of the Splash of Pink cultivar are white, pink or a mix of both -- all on the same shrub. The other types feature all white flowers, growing in clusters as long as 12 inches. The foliage of these crape myrtles has a dark green color, but some types, including Natchez, change to colors such as orange and red in autumn.

Growing Tips

• These white flowering crape myrtles grow between U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, with Petite Snow tolerating the climate of zone 10 as well. Plant them in full sun, with loamy soils mixed with clay the ideal medium for this shrub. You can extend the flowering time of the shrubs by removing any spent flowers, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden. Keep the root system damp. During dry spells, water the crape myrtles extensively.

Uses

• The smaller types of these crape myrtles with white flowers serve as foundation plants, in shrub borders or look good when planted in groups. Bicolor is a good addition to rock gardens within its growing range. Natchez, because of its height, works well as a privacy screen or as a street tree. Other uses for this tall shrub include pruning it into a hedge. Splash of Pink has use as a specimen plant.