My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Crape Myrtle deer resistant?

Lagerstroemia indica

Crape myrtle in full pink flower
Photo by Gabriel Collares, CC BY 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 6–9
Light
Full sun
Height
72–360 in
Bloom
Summer
Maintenance
Low

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Crape Myrtle

Months of summer flower plus peeling cinnamon bark. Do not top it into stubs each spring, which ruins the branch structure permanently and produces weak whippy growth.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Low
Spacing
94 to 142 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Crape Myrtle

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Crape Myrtle grows

Hardy across 46 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — not hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Crape Myrtle

Is Crape Myrtle deer resistant?
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Crape Myrtle grow in?
Crape Myrtle is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Crape Myrtle grow in shade?
No. Crape Myrtle wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Crape Myrtle get?
Mature height is roughly 72–360 in. Growth rate is fast.

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Every list Crape Myrtle belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8·Zone 9

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .