Queen crape myrtle tree is the big mama of crapes, with giant pale purple blossoms, and a shade tree form. One of the best features of this tree, though, isn’t just the big, fluffy flowers or the shapely form but the fact that it doesn’t lose its leaves in winter like other crape myrtle varieties. The queen is considered semi-deciduous, meaning it will drop most leaves just before new growth appears in spring, so the tree is never completely bare…or only for a very short time, if at all. And before they drop, many leaves turn bright red toward end of winter. Queen crape myrtle makes a beautiful shade tree, growing quickly to give you a nice medium-sized tree to sit under with strong branches to hang small potted plants. There is a pink-flowering variety though the purple one is what you’ll find available from most nurseries.