Golden dewdrop is easy to grow and does best in sun to partial shade. The top may freeze in a severe winter, but the roots are hardy. This hardy plant takes sun to partial shade and produces red-orange tubular flowers from summer into fall. Mature height and width can be in the 12-foot range. Wax myrtle also can be pruned into a small tree.
Old roses are an option for sunny spots.
You might also consider some of the viburnums. The foliage was crumbled in the mail. Ask your nurseryman for an appropriate fungicide if the disease seems to be affecting the growth of the tree. Powdery mildew has recently affected crape myrtles, especially older varieties that have little resistance to this fungal disease. Powdery mildew causes white or grayish spots on the upper leaf surface, and these spots may expand and merge.