Lagerstroemia , commonly known as crape myrtle (also spelled crepe myrtle or crêpe myrtle, and often referred to in technical literature as crapemyrtle), is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. It is a member of the family Lythraceae, which are also known as the loosestrife family. The genus is named after the Swedish merchant ...