Discover the Beauty of Crape Myrtles & Safe Planting Guidelines

By Nicholas Sakelaris | May 28, 2025

City of Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney consist of a park decorated with Crape Myrtle Trees and extends through the street of McKinney. Photos by BRIAN ELLEDGE
City of Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney consist of a park decorated with Crape Myrtle Trees and extends through the street of McKinney. Photos by BRIAN ELLEDGE

It's peak crape myrtle season. Luckily, CoServ Members don’t have to travel far to see them. The Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney is a 7.2 acre park that is home to all known varieties of crape myrtles – the only such collection in the world.

“People have life experiences there, like engagement pictures, wedding pictures,” said Bram Franklin, President of the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney Board. “We see people walking in the park a lot and having picnics. National horticulturists take tours of the park and it’s a tourist destination.”

The genesis of this unique park was horticulturist Neil Sperry, who, in the 1990s, envisioned McKinney becoming America’s Crape Myrtle City, the same way Tyler is known for azaleas.

McKinney also showcases crape myrtles in its medians, neighborhoods and schools. “Thousands of crape myrtles have been planted around McKinney through these programs, beautifying the city and helping it earn the designation of ‘America’s Crape Myrtle City,’” Bram said.

The fast-growing, drought-tolerant plants thrive in the summer heat, providing consistent flowering from May through November. They’re also ideal for planting under CoServ power lines – as long as you pick a species that doesn’t get too tall, said CoServ’s Vegetation Management Coordinator Morgan Herd.

https://crapemyrtletrails.org/“The dwarf, intermediate and medium size crape myrtles are perfect for planting around our easements,” Morgan said. “Tall varieties that grow 20 feet or more could impact lines on the pole. In that case, CoServ’s Vegetation Management program would need to trim them back to maintain clearance. Our tree trimming program is a key part of CoServ’s ability to provide reliable power when storms and severe weather hit.”

Pro-Tip:   If you visit the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney this summer, you can see all 117 species, with each one labeled, so you can find which one would look best in your yard and which ones are suitable for planting around CoServ’s easements.

Find out more about McKinney’s Crape Myrtle Trail at CrapeMyrtleTrails.org.

For information on CoServ’s vegetation management program, visit CoServ.com/veg-mgmt.