Lagerstroemia is a genus of about 50 species of deciduous shrubs or small trees known as crapemyrtle. Common crapemyrtle, L. indica, is native to China and Southeast Asia and was introduced to the US from China in the mid-1700s. Valued for its prolific summer flowers, heat and drought tolerance, and year-round landscape interest, crapemyrtle is a dominant landscape plant and street tree throughout the South. The most serious diseases of crapemyrtle are powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. Insect pests include aphids, flea beetle, and Japanese beetle.