It is a sign of the times - whatever the majority is using makes the spelling of a word correct - at least that is what it seems. An internet search will produce crepe myrtles or crape myrtles. Is the material for making clothes crepe or crape? Look at Alabama's own Dept. of Transportation. Shelby Co. car tags are 58 while St. Clair Co. is 59 - even though St. is the abbreviation for saint. If one were filing documents in the workplace, St. would come before Sh - based on the spelling of the word, not the abbreviation.

I have always spelled it "crepe myrtle" but then, I'm over 50 years old!

Mimi

i have always used crape(was taught that this was correct) even though the other spelling would seem a better fit. i assumed they meant to liken the texture of the flowers to the fabric, making crepe a logical choice.

In "Crapemyrtle, A Grower's Thoughts," Huntsville's own David Byers discusses this issue and notes that the list of Standardized Plant Names, Carl Whitcomb, and Mike Dirr all use the term crapemyrtle. Hortus III uses "crape myrtle." David's recommendation is that the standard "crapemyrtle" be adopted, even though the origin of the name refers to the ruffled flowers resembling crepe paper.

Thanks, all. Mimi, I'm over 50 also and crepe seemed better to me. I'm an English teacher, also, so the spelling is important to me. Crape just looks WRONG!

The U.S. National Arboretum uses crapemyrtle. Just for grins, did a search in their site for crepe and came up with sponsor links on making crepe.

rj

Sometimes it's Crap Myrtle.

LOL! ... or you could have a bunch of wayward grapevines growing up into them and have what I have - GrapeMyrtles!

Well, everybody else can have their "Crape Myrltles" and I'll keep my good old fashioned Crepe Myrtles! I'm too old to change things this late in the game! :)

ALL professional resources will correctly use the term Crapemyrtle or Crape myrtle. Changing it to 'crepe myrtle' is a corruption of the name, but an understandable one. It is also merely a common name, and not subject to the kind of scrutiny that scientific nomenclature is. I've been disappointed that Southern Living tends to use crepe myrtle rather than Crape myrtle, since they could be setting a good example if they would spell it according to industry standards.

When I had students who kept using the crepe spelling, I simply began spelling their own names according to my personal whims. It helped remind them! ;-)

How curious. I've been spending the last couple of days researching this very issue. I've come up with a few things and it just makes this issue curiouser and curiouser. :)

The french word 'crepe' is from the latin "crispa" which I've seen translated as both "crisp" and "curled."

I've seen the word "crape" as being an Anglicized form of the word "crepe." But the "crape" version seems to be associated with fabric and a particular fabric wherein they spelled it "crape" with an "a" to distinguish it as "mourning cloth". It is a "crinkled" fabric with a dull finish and at one time could only be found in black since it was preferred for mourning clothes.

French "crepes" are 800 years old and are thin, flakey/crispy pancakes with curly edges.

The flowers of the tree are curly but they are not particularly thin nor are they crispy.

The shedding bark of the tree is crispy and curly which would connect with both latin "translations." This is the aspect that I was always taught is why the Crepe Myrtle was commonly called Crepe Myrtle. My grandmother (God rest her soul) took 4 years of latin in college and she always spelled the name Crepe Myrtle and I was always told that the shedding bark is how it got its name.

However, since the blossoms are "curly" and regardless of the fact that they don't fit the "crispy" aspect. I'm willing to concede that the blossoms play a part in the common name.

I've also read in my research that the "'crepe' form for the common name of Crepe Myrtle as opposed to Crape Myrtle is making a comeback to its roots."

So for my part I'll take Forrest Gump's position: "Maybe it's both. Maybe both are happening at the same time." :)

Crepe paper was so named because of its thin, crinkly and crispy appearance which fits in with both latin translations. Again, the 'crape' spelling when used in reference to the paper is an Anglicized version of the french name. The 'crape' spelling of the fabric was merely to distinguish it from other versions of 'crepe' fabric as in crepe-de-chine.

Whatever the spelling is, crepes are always delicious! Here are some of the crepe making tips that I use. Check it out.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crepe Making Tips