Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing
Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing – Get It Just Right!
Crape Myrtles come in just about every shape and size, but Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing is key to making sure your landscape looks amazing! Are you planting next to your home and wondering how far away to place your new tree? Planning a privacy hedge, border, or a stunning driveway lining? We’ve got the perfect spacing guide to help!
Too close, and your crape myrtles might get crowded—too far, and they won’t create that lush, full look you’re dreaming of. Whether you’re planting a miniature, dwarf, medium, or towering variety, knowing the right Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing ensures your trees grow healthy, strong, and beautifully shaped.
Thinking of a privacy hedge? For a thick, seamless look, plant dwarf varieties 3-5 feet apart and taller types 5-8 feet apart. Want a single accent tree by your home? Keep it at least 6 feet away from walls to allow full growth and air circulation. Dreaming of a driveway lined with color? Space them 10-15 feet apart for a majestic, park-like feel.
But wait—there’s more! Proper Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing also improves air circulation, reduces the risk of disease, and helps your trees reach their full blooming potential. Plus, well-spaced trees enhance curb appeal, increase property value, and create a landscape masterpiece that you’ll enjoy for years to come!
We make it easy and stress-free to get your planting just right! Our Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing recommendations ensure your trees thrive, bloom beautifully, and fit perfectly in your landscape. Check out our complete guide and plant with confidence—because happy crape myrtles mean a gorgeous yard for years to come!
Need help picking the perfect crape myrtle or deciding on the best spacing for your yard? We’re here to help! Shop with Southern Charm Crape Myrtles, where expert advice and the best selection of rare and unique crape myrtles are just a click away. Let’s get planting! 🌱
The Perfect Crape Myrtle Plant Spacing
Plant spacing depends on the specific look you're going for more than anything. Crape myrtles grow extremely well if they're planted next to each other along a sidewalk, or as a shade tree alone in a pasture. Keep reading to learn ideal plant spacing and discover inspiration for future projects.
Things to Consider
Picture the Ideal Result in Your Mind.....
Crape myrtles are long-lived trees and can thrive for many years. So it's important you consider not only color, but growth pattern, height, width and yes, spacing.
- Do you want a ground cover, perhaps for lining a sidewalk or around your home?
- Would a thick privacy hedge be ideal to block the neighbor's view?
- How about lining your driveway spectacular entrance?
- Perhaps a row of shade trees?
Below we'll go over some spacing recommendations for each mature height group.
*Note* All crape myrtles have non-invasive roots. So they will not harm a foundation, sidewalk or even a pool. This is exactly why they're so popular in parking lot landscapes: non-invasive roots and very little maintenance.
Bijou™ Crape Myrtles, Southern Charm Original
Our Bijou™ Micro Miniature crape myrtles are the smallest of the small. They have a very compact growth pattern with tiny leaves and delicate flowers.
- For our Bijou™ crape myrtles to form a nice thick border for a sidewalk or garden bed, plant them 1-2ft apart. They will grow together nicely to form a thick, tiny hedge full of flowers.
- For a more individual plant look, place them about 3ft+ apart. They will develop a nice, even mounding shape and bloom evenly all over.
- Plant them 1-2ft away from a foundation or sidewalk so they can grow naturally with no obstruction or trimming required.
Miniature Crape Myrtles
Miniature crape myrtles can mature from 2-5ft tall and wide, depending on the variety. Some have upright growth patterns while others have long weeping branches, suitable for hanging baskets and window boxes.
- On average, miniatures should be planted 18in-4ft apart, depending on the variety.
- For a thick ground cover using varieties such as New Orleans, Creole, World's Fair and Houston, plant them 18-24in apart. For a more individual plant look, plant them 3-4ft+ apart.
- For a hedge maturing 4-5ft tall using varieties such as Chisam Fire, Baton Rouge, Pixie White or Blue Amethyst™, plant them 3ft apart. For a more individual plant look, plant them 5ft+ apart.
- Plant these 2-3ft from away from a foundation or sidewalk so they can grow naturally with no obstruction or trimming required.
Dwarf Crape Myrtles
Dwarfs, maturing from 6-10ft tall, are commonly used as privacy hedges. Most dwarf varieties naturally grow thick and bushy, making them the ideal choice for privacy with little to no pruning required.
- Like other crape myrtles, spacing for dwarfs is going to depend on the variety and your desired outcome.
- For a thick, fast growing privacy hedge using varieties such as Hopi, Acoma, Tonto or Velma's Royal Delight, plant them 4-6ft apart. Let them grow naturally and they will make a beautiful living hedge.
- Some varieties, such as Prairie Lace, Victor and Okmulgee have a narrow, upright growth pattern. Planting them 3-4ft apart is ideal for a thick hedge.
- For a more individual plant look, place them 6-8ft apart.
- Plant these 4ft+ from away from a foundation or sidewalk so they can grow naturally with no obstruction or trimming required.
Obsidian™ Crape Myrtles, Southern Charm Original
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- On average, Obsidians™ mature 12-15ft tall and 10-15ft wide. So spacing for Obsidians™ are about the same as dwarf crape myrtles.
- For a thick, fast growing privacy hedges plant them 4-6ft apart. Let them grow naturally and they will make a beautiful living hedge.
- For a more individual plant look, place them 8ft+ apart.
- Plant these 4ft+ from away from a foundation or sidewalk so they can grow naturally with no obstruction or trimming required.
Passion™ Crape Myrtles, Southern Charm Original
Passion™ Crape Myrtles, a Southern Charm Original, were developed for rich saturated color, reliable long blooming periods and all-around toughness. With miniatures and full-sized trees in this collection, they can mature from 4-20ft tall and wide, depending on the variety.
- Spacing for the Passion™ line of crape myrtles will of course depend on their mature size.
- Space according to mature size. For example, Elizabethanne Red Passion™ is a Medium Tree, so space like you would any Medium.
- Scarlett Passion™ is a miniature, so space as you would any miniature.
- Dwarfs like Guava Passion™ and Flamingo Passion™ would be spaced as you would any Dwarf.
Medium Crape Myrtles
Medium crape myrtles, maturing 14-20ft tall and up to 20ft wide are ideal for lining driveways. These fast-growing trees will delight you with a splash of color every time you drive by.
- Although as a general rule of thumb the taller a crape myrtle matures, the faster they grow, some medium varieties give even the largest of Standards a run for their money.
- To line you driveway, property line, or just make a land divider, plant mediums such as Natchez, Osage and William Toovey 8ft+ apart. They will begin to grow together when they are about 6ft tall (again, variety specific of course), making a thick natural wall.
- Plant them 10-12ft+ apart to expose their lovely trunks as they grow and have their canopies join when they mature.
- Like some of the dwarfs, some mediums such as Queen's Lace, Dallas Red and Comanche have a very upright growth pattern, so spacing should be closer together.
- Plant these 6-8ft+ away from a foundation or road so they can grow naturally without accidentally scraping a vehicle. They will require very little pruning.
Standard (Tree) Crape Myrtles
Standards, or Tree-type crape myrtles mature up to 30ft tall and 20ft+ wide. These trees are used when you would like to create the tunnel effect for a driveway or need shade quickly. Some Standards can easily grow 10ft+ a year once established.
- Standards need a lot of sunlight to produce a lot of flowers. They are going to need some room to spread out.
- To line a driveway, or create a very large hedge with varieties such as Basham's Party Pink, Muskogee or Choctaw, plant them 12-15ft+ apart. They will grow upright very quickly and begin to merge when they are about 10ft tall.
- Like other varieties, some Standards have a more upright, narrow growth pattern such as Carolina Red, Twilight and Arapahoe. For these varieties plant them a few feet closer together to attain the desired look.
- For a more individual plant look, place them 20ft+ apart.
- Although crape myrtles have non-invasive roots, if planted too close to a road they may eventually lift it up. Fortunately, too close to a road only means 3ft or less! But, to err on the side of caution (as we always do), plant these beauties 6-8ft from the road or foundation. Again, if displacement by root growth was a problem, we'd never see them in parking lots!
RARE Crape Myrtles
As you may have guessed, these are extremely RARE and UNUSUAL varieties so we will need to go over each one individually. Currently we have 3 varieties available, but more are certainly on the way. Our breeding program never stops!
1. Lagerstroemia Floribunda, also known as King's Crape Myrtle.
- Matures to 100ft+ tall, 75ft+ wide with purple and pink flower clusters that can be 3ft long.
- CAN NOT SURVIVE A FREEZE. MUST BE GROWN IN ZONES 9 AND 10.
- As you may have imagined, most people grow these as individual specimen trees.
- They need a lot of room, moisture and are heavy feeders.
- Plant one every 100ft feet.
2. Lagerstroemia Speciosa, also known as Queen's Crape Myrtle or Pride of India.
- Matures to 50ft+ tall, 25ft+ wide with purple and pink flower clusters that can be 2-3ft long.
- CAN NOT SURVIVE A FREEZE. MUST BE GROWN IN ZONES 9 AND 10.
- Like Floribunda, most people only grow these as individual specimen trees.
- They need a lot of room, moisture and are heavy feeders.
- Plant one every 50ft feet.
3. Lagerstroemia Fauriei, also known as Japanese Crape Myrtle. Although there are several Fauriei subspecies, we carry Townhouse.
- Townhouse can be grown in zones 6-10.
- As they mature 30ft+ tall and about 25ft wide, plant spacing is similar to Standard crape myrtles.
- To line a driveway, or create a very large hedge with Townhouse, plant them 12-15ft+ apart. They will grow upright very quickly and begin to merge when they are about 10ft tall.