Marker Logo
THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
The National Mall in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Crape myrtle

Lagerstremia species and hybrids

— Loosestrife family, Southeast Asia —

 
 
Crape myrtle Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 9, 2021
1. Crape myrtle Marker
Inscription.
This Asian tree was first introduced to the American South around 1790 by a French botanist.

The U.S. National Arboretum has bred over two dozen cultivars, including pink-blooming 'Sioux' and white-blooming 'Natchez.'

Notice how the flowers resemble crepe paper and the bark peels naturally. If you could breed a type of tree, what would its bark and flowers look like?
 
Erected 2019 by Smithsonian Gardens.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical year for this entry is 1790.
 
Location. 38° 53.454′ N, 77° 1.773′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in The National Mall. It is on Madison Drive Northwest 0.1 miles west of 12th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1200 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC 20004, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake

Paid Advertisement
Click or scan to see
this page online
Bay Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Healing (here, next to this marker); Butterfly weed (here, next to this marker); Discovery (here, next to this marker); Blazing star (a few steps from this marker); Coneflower (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Butterfly weed (a few steps from this marker); Memory (a few steps from this marker); Ingenuity (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
 
Crape myrtle Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 9, 2021
2. Crape myrtle Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on January 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
m=164286

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisement
Jul. 30, 2026