Native to the Far East, crepe myrtles can be trees or but in my zone 6 garden, they usually die back to the ground each winter.

In our warmer southern states, they grow into trees. The size and shape of these plants vary greatly, with some up to 30 feet tall where the winters are warm. They have fresh new foliage in the spring, and in late summer and early fall, the flowers are exceptionally pretty.

The genus is Lagerstroemia, and the plants enjoy full sun and lose all their leaves in winter. There are many different varieties, some with bronze leaves for example. Most are deer resistant, though in my garden I have seen the deer eat the lower branches when they are flowering.

One cultivar with medium water needs and pale pink blossoms is ‘Potamic’ that is hardy to zone 6. A white blooming variety is ‘Natchez,’ and it can grow into a small vase-shaped tree.

I have grown crepe myrtle in my garden for over 30 years, but some years they get damaged by late spring frosts and do not attain much height. Other years they grow profusely with white, pink, red, maroon, and purple flowers and light up my yard in late summer. This far north it all depends on the weather. While our weather is not ideal for them, try at least one, anyway.

Note:
It is prudent to try to buy a variety that is one zone colder than your zone, for insurance. For example, try to buy one that is hardy to zone 5 if you live in zone 6. In cold winters they die right back, and one has to cut the stems completely down each spring. Sometimes there will be some new growth on the old, bare stems in the spring but not often, and they usually start back in my garden each spring, with new growth from the ground up. The taller they grow in a season, the better though, as then the deer can't reach the flowers on the top so easily!