My daughter, Sara, took this picture.
This is a 'Fauriei' crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia x fauriei, a hybrid of Lagestroemia indica and the eponymous Japanese species). It has a magnificent canopy and looks like a real tree, as opposed to the older crape myrtle varieties that are most glorious when kept pruned back to around eight feet tall but never account for much as trees.
Once flowering is over, crape myrtles can be pruned drastically without worrying about reducing next year's bloom since flowers are produced on growth which begins the following spring. Yet, at least where 'Fauriei' is concerned, pruning may never be required throughout the life of the tree. As with most deciduous trees, it is best to prune crape myrtle, if you must, in winter after all its leaves have fallen.
The crape myrtle was named Lagerstroemia in honor of Magnus von Lagerstroem, a Swedish naturalist and merchant. Some people pronounce it Lager-STREEM-ia, in deference to the Swedish pronounciation. Crape myrtles are native to China, Japan and other Southeast Asian lands. (The species name indica, given to the earliest classified crape myrtles, is misleading since the plant is not native to India, although it was thought to come from there at one time.)
Another bonus of 'Fauriei', as opposed to indica, is its resistance to mildew.
Yet the greatest enemy of all crape myrtles is the string trimmer or so-called weed eater piece of equipment used by gardeners. The plastic string of this infernal machine whips around the trunk of young crape myrtles, which are often planted in parkway strips of grass between sidewalk and street. As as result, the cambium layer under the bark of crape myrtles is often gouged out by the whirling plastic string of the weed eater. Once the cambium is destroyed, water can no longer move up the trunk into the leaves. I have seen many crape myrtles dry up and die as a result of weed eater damage.
To protect newly planted crape myrtles and other young trees from such a fate, use this plastic trunk protector.
