[5] Crape myrtles are susceptible to several pests and diseases, most notably, fungus-caused powdery mildew,[6] and more recently, bark scale, caused by aphids leaving a black dark fungal infection in their wake.

The timber of some species has been used to manufacture bridges, furniture, and railway sleepers,[8] but in Vietnam's Cát Tiên National Park, the dominant stands of Lagerstroemia calyculata in secondary forest are thought to have survived (after episodes of logging) due to the low quality of wood.

The common crape myrtle (L. indica) from China and Korea was introduced c. 1790 to Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States, by French botanist André Michaux.

Today, crape myrtle varieties can fulfill many landscaping needs, from tidy street trees to dense barrier hedges to fast-growing dwarf types of less than 60 cm (2 ft), which can go from seed to bloom in a season (allowing gardeners in places where the plant is not winter-hardy to still enjoy the intense colors of the frilly flowers).

While not as widely known, the Japanese crape myrtle, L. fauriei, from central and southern Japan, is becoming increasingly important, both as a landscaping plant and as a parent in complex hybrids with L. indica.

Japanese crape myrtle is hardier to cold than many strains of L. indica, a characteristic (along with fungal resistance, tree form, and colorful bark) that makes it valuable as genetic material for hybridization.

It is a large evergreen tree with colorful rosy-mauve flowers and striking white bark, suitable for public parks and avenues; only the seed-grown species is commonly available for sale, unlike L. indica and L. fauriei, which have dozens of cultivars.